


Red Bundle

by PrinnyRamza



Category: Star vs. The Forces Of Evil
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-14
Updated: 2018-09-16
Packaged: 2018-09-24 05:41:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 65,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9705695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinnyRamza/pseuds/PrinnyRamza
Summary: 8 minutes were 16 years. That means that one more second could've been another hour.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why would someone even steal a torn up hoodie?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I wrote only two stories in two years of being part of this site. Now I just wrote three in a week. Freaking show is gonna kill me

It started with a invader in his closet. Not that this this was a surprise to Marco. True, normally Janna was a lot more stealthy with this sort of thing but that just meant that for once he had the upperhand and he wasn’t going to waste it. 

Diaz slipped off his shoes, he’d make less noise that way and stuck to the walls, and slowly inched to his closet. He stepped back and struck. 

With the loudest battle cry, he reeled his foot and kicked the closet door open. 

He paused.

Who was in his closet? It wasn’t Janna nor was it the obvious second choice, the magical girl that was his housemate.

Standing there with with long red hair, chalk white skin and long lashes was a girl who he knew very well. 

It was: “Hekapoo?”

In retrospect, while still surprising, he had to admit it was a distant good third guess. 

She turned to him and for a second he thought that she actually had the decency to look surprise and even maybe embarrassed. This flash of emotion however went away quickly and dissolved into an almost bored expression, “Oh hey kiddo.” 

She muttered and continue to whatever it was that she doing which at this moment seemed to be shuffling through the hoodies he had stashed away in his closet. 

“What are you doing?” he set his foot down slowly, not really sure if he should be putting his guard down considering his large storage of memories with this girl. 

“Wow I know you aren’t this unobservant. I’m rummaging through your stuff” her pace in which she went through the red clothing seem to intensify for a bit as if punctuating her sentence.

Of course she was, but that isn’t what he meant.

“Argh, where did you put it?”

Marco stepped forward, poking his head over the demonesses’ shoulder, “Put what?”

She gave him a glare and turned as much as she could away from him while still comfortably being able breeze through the hangers, “Why do you have so many of these?”

“Like red, like hoodies. Got fifty of them.” he stated in a matter of fact manner and she stopped, giving him a hard look, “hey don’t judge, I actually go through them pretty fast.”

She rolled her eyes, slipping her hand through another hoodie as she pushed it aside. There was a smell of burn cotton and as Marco glaze at her hand he could make out a bit of smoke starting to form as she touched each article of clothing, “Especially because I know girls like you.”

The other dimensional woman gave a sigh before twisting around and grabbing the boy by the collar, “where’s your hoodie?” 

“Um” he looked at her.

He looked at his closet.

He looked at his hoodies.

Then he looked back at her.

“Is this a trick question?”

“Your hoodie. The one you had on for sixteen years lamebrain.” she gripped him closer, “what? You threw it out the moment you got back to your dimension?”

He blinked, “Well I couldn’t really wear it anymore.” he told her and she looked away, “Didn’t have the abs for it.”

He let out a weak laugh and she let him go. 

He rubbed his neck around where his collar rubbed against it. There were silence between the two. He stared at her and she found a whole new interest in his floor. He coughed and pointed over to a small cardboard box in his closet, “It’s in there if you really want to know.” 

Her eyes widen and as he blinked she was already bending over, picking up the light container. 

Overturning the box completely, she watched everything drop out. Some old pictures, a worn out hat, a skull mask. None of which was of interest to her, but she did find what she came for. A red hoodie, sliced up, not worth being worn by anyone and she smiled.

“Couldn’t really find the heart to get rid of it.” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Don’t really have much else to remember those years by. Even the bald spot is starting to disappear.”

“You always have the scissors.” she spoke quickly. 

“Yes I know,” he traced his fingers against his pants and felt the inter dimensional device in his pocket, “they’re not enough.”

“No, I mean-” she paused “you do remember that I said you can come back any time.”

“I remember but I’m not ready.” he stepped towards her, “Hekapoo, if I went back now I don’t think I could ever head home. There too much here that I’d leave behind.”

She looked him in the eyes, “Are you saying that you left nothing important there?”

Marco started to open his mouth and she just sighed and looked away, “Don’t answer that.”

She held up the shredded hoodie, “The scissors will have to be enough.”

Before he knew it, there was a familiar red portal and the demoness was gone. 

He reach for his scissors once again. He could go after her. It was his keepsake after all and he did love the chase. It would be like old times. No, he couldn’t do old times. The allure of old times felt too great. Old times ended with him gone for another sixteen years. Even if it didn’t, even if his experience prove true and cut his journey to half of what it was before, he knew that the temptation would be too great.

So he just stared at the space and sighed. 

That isn’t to say that he completely let it go. 

One day, he was taking a shower and out of nowhere he asked “Remember those years?”

“Those years?” a young girl asked from the other side of the shower walls. She was Star, wearing her green dress, long striped socks and devil horn headband.

“When I was gone”, Marco leaned back against the closed shower door.

“You mean those eight minutes?” she suggested. 

He muttered to himself, “It was sixteen years for me.”

“What about them?” she straightened her back and look back at the impossible to make out shape that was behind the rough glass door. 

“Hekapoo, do you know her?” he asked, “I mean Pony Head apparently knew her. Can’t really figure out how she was worthy of dimensional scissors.” 

“Oh no, she like totally stole them.”

“Of course she did.” That made too much sense, “So like would Pony head know anything about her?”

After that he waited about a week. He didn't spend that time ideally. He had to do his homework and housework. Things that he used to take pride in but now he had to admit seemed like a waste. He however still thought that doing so was the responsible thing to do and being responsible was how you were suppose to live. 

Of course the time wasn’t a complete waste. There were days where he hung out with his friends. Jackie, his girlfriend for one.

She was impressed, or at least he hoped she was, with how he didn’t seem to panic as much while she helped with her board. Even suggested that maybe he should get his own and practice. 

He was more of a bike guy but he considered it.

Janna was there, making her usual remarks. He thought they might’ve been flirty, not in a way that she was making it known she was interested but in a way as to make him uncomfortable. She liked to see him squirm.

He turned around and shot a comment of his own and she gasped and laugh, slapping him on the arm. Her giggles went on probably longer than was required but she was surprised by his guts but was surprised at his guys. She even said so herself.

He spent time with Tom who challenged him to an array of video games. Marco bragged that he was a champ among st his friends, namely Ferguson and Alphonso but still found himself at the mercy of the demon. 

Finally near the end of the week, Star and he went on an adventure later that week and while technically the scissors was his to do whatever with, making them a great bargaining chip, he still allowed her to pick the destination. There was only one place that he thought to go to in the universe and there didn’t think that he should go there.

When saturday hit however, he knew in his gut that he couldn’t delay what he had to do. He had told himself that school was the reason that he couldn’t have go but in face of the weekend, he had to face that the true reason was nerves.

When he was sure that his parents were out and Star was busy with her spell book, he pulled out his scissors.

Where he went was an floating island with a large building, less like the tower he was expecting and more like a government building. Something you would see on earth in a big city somewhere, almost normal.

He stepped past the doorman, a green moose with a quick hello, asked the man at the front desk, a green moose if where the magical high commission was located and was stopped by security, a green moose.

Has he seen this guy here?

Marco looked back at the empty front desk. 

Nah, he probably was just imagining it. 

“Sir please step forward.” the moose said and he stepped through the plain looking metal detector and continued to walk even when it came a life with red lights and a buzz. 

He stopped.

“Sir, do you have any arcane objects on you?" The moose was polite and seemed cheery just doing his job.

Marco pulled out his scissors and twirled them around his finger, “Well this is sort of my ride home.”

The guard lifted a plastic bin like the ones you would see at an airport.

The kid in the hoodie frowned, “Hey it wouldn’t be cool if I um just held onto it? I kinda want to keep it on me.”

The moose smile faltered for a second as he gave Marco a once over with his glance. He made a whine but then lowered the plastic bin, “I guess it’ll be alright.” 

Security smiled pointed down the hall, “The elevator is right down the hall. The stairs to the right.” 

Diaz would later find out that not only were the elevator not working but apparently to go up the stairs you have to repeatedly backflip up them. Nothing about other dimensions were easy it seemed. 

Hekapoo hated being on the list of the arguable top ten most powerful magical entities in the known universe.

it was because of that fact that she had a seat on the high commission. One that she could’ve turned down but then she would’ve been subjected to the constant whining of the other beings on the rhetorical list that she shared a space on. 

“I don’t see what we’re all waiting for. We need to go in there and strip all flesh from any being willing to go against the council.” crystal head shouted, “then do so to the rest of the planet just to be extra sure.” 

“Baa” goat brains said which Hekapoo was sure translated to something in the lines of “blah blah Rhombulus. Blah blah cool your jets. Blah blah don’t really care about this conversation.”

“Why is it that you never back me up Lekmet!” the wizard blubbered. Hekapoo could only describe it as blubbering. 

The more she thought about it the more she realized that the result of her joining the commission and not joining the commission were pretty much the same except if she wasn’t part of the club then she could be on the beach somewhere while they are moaning about whatever nonsense. 

Guess she did care about the safety of the universe. Gosh she had to be such a bleeding heart.

Letting out a huff of air, she didn’t even bother looking at the other two currently at the table, “or until they pay their taxes we could reduce magical utilities, just a simple suggestion from those of us in the room not throwing a temper tantrum.” 

“It’s not a temper tantrum Hekapoo. This is righteous fury. We provide protection and we deserve our compensation.” his arms, two snakes hissed as he stood up. 

With a twirl of her hand she summoned her chosen weapon when dealing with her fellow commission member. A jet black squirt bottle. 

“No bad Rhombulus.” she squeezed. 

He gave a cry, “no fair.”

True what came out was hot molten magma but between the three strongest in the cosmos, it worked well as a squirt bottle.

He sat down, looking like he was going to cry.

There were some steps and the room turned their heads to the door. There was no one penciled in at this time. 

In anything it was probably ‘the new great evil’ or ‘neo dark overlord’ or whatever the next great tyrannical want to be called themselves. 

Seriously it was mostly a weekly event. Anyone with an ego and half a spark of magic would eventually try to make a pass at the commission like they were so cool or whatever.

This guy was probably not going to last long. Hekapoo could barely feel a hint of magical energy. 

There was a click and the door creaked. 

Standing there was- of course she could rewrite the laws of reality but the universe can still hate her as much as it”ll like. 

“Who dares stands in front of the universal magic high-”

“Shut up” Hekapoo squirted the bottle once more before the one eye man could stand up, “go stand in the corner.”

“But I didn’t do anything this time.” the man whined back. 

She bared her fangs at him, “Go stand in the time out corner Rhombulus or so help me I'll rip a tear in time and space and erase any possibility of you ever having been born.”

“This is so unfair.” yep, he was definitely crying now. At least he did what he was told.

She gave a glance to the goat, “You too Lekmet.”

The winged mammal spared her a look before shrugging and standing into a corner in the back of the room, though a different one then where Rhombulus was.

“Who told you to come to where I work?” she stood in front of Marco and spoke quietly so that’ll only he would hear. 

He swallowed and looked at Rhobulus, at Lekmet, both in their respective corners before setting his eyes back at Hekapoo. He spoke just as softly, “You said I could visit you anytime I wanted.” 

“I said” she began to yell. She looked behind her to the other members of the high commission and coughed. Looking back to Diaz, she readjusted her volume, “I said you could visit me at my swamp. I didn’t think you needed glasses but clearly you do cause last time I checked this might be a craphole but it is not a swamp.” 

“It’s just,” he couldn’t look her in the eye, “I couldn’t. Just couldn’t. Way too many memories. That whole dimension reminds me of way too many things.”

“Save it.” Hekapoo took her hands and pinched the bridge of her nose, “it’s not like i was actually expecting you to ever show up anyway after we last talked.”

She stepped away, “In fact It’s probably best if I revoke that whole visiting privilege I gave you.” 

“You can’t do that.” he followed her. “You said I could visit you, you come to my house and now you don’t want me to see you?” 

“This whole arrangement we had if you can even call it that," she brought the flat of her hand and crossed in front of her throat, “It’s not working out.” 

“So just like that?” he frowned. Before he looked shock about what she was saying but now Marco was genuinely crossed, “You’re leaving me just like that.” 

She pointed at his neck, “You’re the one who left.”

Throwing her arms, she uttered, “I’m just following your lead. Now you don’t have to visit me since it’s ‘so difficult.’”

“You can’t.” he yelled, “What about-”

He almost said ‘us’, but Marco guessed that with this rant that she was basically telling him that whatever time they share what ever bond they had whatever someone could call it, it didn’t matter. 

“What about Nacho?” he asked, “So you’re saying I can’t visit her?” 

“What?” her eyes widen, “If that’s all you care about I can dump that dumb lizard back to your little toxic rock.” 

There was a knock on the door. 

“Don’t call her dumb,” the boy shouted, “she apparently cared a whole lot more about me then you did.”

Another knock was heard. 

Hekapoo laughed, “She just loved that you gave her food. She forgot about you the moment it was lunch time and I was the only one to feed her.” 

And another knock.

“I wouldn’t even be here if you would just leave me alone. Every time I keep on just living my life, you have to come and complicate it.”

Two knocks.

“Well I’m telling you that you can just go back to your stupid existence.”

Three more. 

“Fantastic, I would love nothing more.”

The door went quiet for a moment.

“Excuse me,” there was a soft feminine voice, “This isn’t a bad time is it?” 

The door squeaked and there was a girl with long green hair and a pink striped shirt, “Hey Hekapoo.”

The green hair girl looked at Marco and her eyes widen, “Hey Marco.”

The demon and teen looked at each other and stepped away from each other. They had the decency to looked embarrassed but both tried to remain neutral in front of the girl. 

“Hey Kelly,” Marco spoke. 

So did Hekapoo, “Sup.”

Suddenly some of the girl’s hair shook and a male voice rang out, “Hey Marco, how you’re doing Hekapoo?”

“Sup Tad.”

“How you’re doing Tad.” 

Kelly coughed.

Marco coughed.

Hekapoo coughed.

Tad didn’t cough, he was a pretty chill dude and the atmosphere of the room didn’t really bother him. 

“So, I know this is sudden,” the green haired girl spoke, “I know this is really short notice but there’s a family emergency with my grandmother.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.” Marco eyes widen.

“Oh, it’s fine.” Kelly shushed, “She just had a slight scare. Everyone’s going down to make sure she’s fine.”

She started to giggle, “Honestly I’m more scared for Tad. My dad’s not the biggest fan of his.”

Kelly’s hair murmured, “What? I don’t know babe. Pretty sure the guy loves me.”

She stuck out her tongue, “You think everyone loves you.” 

“I’m a very loveable guy.”

“I know.” the girl blushed. She turned around revealing a red bundle which she brought to her chest, “So Hekapoo, I’m gonna have to return this to you.” 

Hekapoo hurried forward and Marco didn’t know how someone can move so fast while still having a sort of gentleness to them.

“What is that,” he spoke, “Is that my hoodie?” 

“No it isn’t.” as she walked by him she kept her back to him, “And if it was, what does it mattered?” 

A small cry was heard, “What is that?”

“It’s nothing.” the demoness spoke. It was amazing to him how she could speak so softly while sounding absolutely panicked.

The cry was louder and Hekapoo stopped her pacing to bounce and soothe the red bundle.

Marco stared and tried to looked over her shoulders, “Is that-” 

He saw a glimpse of a tuft of brown hair, “Is that?”

“Is that a baby?” Standing up from his corner was the crystal warlock Rhombulus who roared, “I love babies.”

He practically ran over to see the small humanoid wrapped in red. Whatever being was there in returned stopped it’s tantrum to stare back at the single crystal eye of the mage. 

Hekapoo tried to kick him away, “Later, you can see her later.” 

She repeated again and again but he seem to ignore her displays of physical violence in order to play with the spawn. 

“She has brown hair”

Hekapoo put her foot down slowly and Rhomlubus back away feeling tension in the air. 

“Hey I returned your baby back to you, so I’m gonna just head out.” Kelly was already out the door and she continued to speak as her footsteps could be heard descending the staircase. 

Marco looked at the baby. It did have brown hair and it shared a tone of skin not with Hekapoo but with Marco’s own mother, “And she has your eyes.” 

Hekapoo nodded. She also had the woman's horns and the beginnings of a fang if he guessed correctly.

“Is this?” he started but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate for him to ask. 

“Yes” her voice shook, “This is your daughter.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will I continue this? Who even knows.
> 
> 2/14: Ya, why not?


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plans get worked out. Things get leaked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably not be perfect. Hell I think that I'll probably end up rereading this a dozen times and still find grammer and spelling errors to fix, but I feel that If I don't just post it then I will never get around to it. Hell base on how I'm feeling later I'll probably either find this passable or I'll hate myself completely. I have tried to write chapter stories before and I find that continuing things are harder then a quick beginning, middle and end. 
> 
> I think the most important thing I can do is keep on writing and writing until I get the hang of it. 
> 
> I do hope that one thing that I can make clearer is Hekapoo's motivations in the last chapter or at least one of her motivations.
> 
> Admittedly this chapter will only be about half Marco and Hekapoo. Half other people.

“My daughter?” That made a lot of sense now that he thought about it. Marco could already see his mother in the infant. He saw so much of Hekapoo in her. Even if he could deny the fiery orange eyes like the demoness or the beauty mark that matched his, wrapped around her was a stitched together keepsake that he recognized. It was his hoodie, the one he wore for sixteen years, repurposed for a toddler’s blanket. 

No he was wrong, that didn’t make any sense at all. That couldn’t be his kid, “But how?”

“I don’t think I have to give you instructions” she choked out a laugh. “At least not again.” 

Looking Hekapoo in the eye, she caught a glance from his pupil before looking away.

Marco continued, “Hekapoo that was only a month ago.”

“Maybe demons give birth quickly.” despite herself, Hekapoo let out a small giggle and began to rock the child in her arms. 

The boy blinked, contemplating how different the biology between the were. The mother rolled her eyes and began to rock her baby, “You spent a decade and half in under the time it takes to bake a microwave dinner. You think I couldn’t cook up a little nursing dimension for myself?”

She looked down as she rocked the baby in her arms, “Couple minutes everywhere else in the universe, the timer was done and this little bun was out of the oven.” 

“Nursing dimension” His jaw locked and he squinted his brow. 

“Why?” he opened up his arms. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Diaz stepped forward until he was face to face with her. “I could’ve been there.”

Over her shoulder a large crystal attached to a scale torso hovered above. “Hekapoo, you do know that the commission helps their members in-”

“You don’t even start.” She shouted and pointed a finger to the back of the room. “Back to the corner.”

“Hekapoo. Please I want to help, after all we’re friends aren’t we? ”

“Corner. Now” 

The large man nodded his head and for once he walked back to his domain not with anger nor sadness but he he walked back to the corner all the same. 

Hekapoo sighed and stood as straight as she could while still holding the bundle of joy, “Okay so you see me here. And you see this rugrat. What are you planning on doing?”

“Well I want to take care of you.” he held his wrist and rubbed it. “I mean you and her.”

“Playing cool as always.” she gave a smile that didn’t reach her eyes and held the baby closer to herself. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t want you to find out.” 

She faced away from him and stepped away, “This isn’t something anyone just wants dropped on them and I know you well enough to see this coming, like a galaxy away.”

She bounced around the baby. “There’s a big difference between seeing someone because you want to and because you have to.”

Leaning forward Marco spoke. “Well I want to. She’s my daughter. She’s my responsibility.”

Hekapoo shook her head “Just relax. I’m not some single mom on your backwater world who needs the support.” 

She twirled around to face him before stepping to the side. As she walked she left behind an image of herself which stood it’s ground. It came to life, breathing and moving its body separately from her. 

Hekapoo handed the baby to her copy, “I can handle it on my own.”

Suddenly she disappeared like smoke, leaving behind who Marco believed was the clone. 

“Look at it this way.” the real Hekapoo spoke. “I am over a millennium old and when this little one-”

She cooed at the small lady. “-is all grown up and can take care of herself, I will still be over a millennium old.”

She breathed. “Where will you be? In your thirties? Forties? An old man halfway done with your short life. What will you have done while caring for her against what you will have to give up?”

“Hekapoo.” he thought for a moment. What would he do. Would he have to drop out of school? Marco guess that in most situations that would be the answer but this wasn’t most situations.

He didn’t get a girl at his school pregnant. Hekapoo was a grown woman. With an important job. One that he believe based on the evidence, paid well.

“This is my fault. I’m the adult here.” she tried to reassure him.

“But I’m thirty.” a weak argument with a predictable retort.

“You aren’t exactly looking like it.” she eyed him back and forth. 

“But I have those years. I’m an adult. I’m responsible.”

“Every flesh bag your age would say the same thing, about how mature they are.”

Marco had to admit that he wasn’t sure if he could take care of a child. His experience began and ended at tadpoles. He was sure if he what he could and couldn’t do. He could get his daughter to sleep he guessed.

Wait, no he couldn’t even do that. The instructions that Buff Frog gave him when he babysat was specially made for the monster’s own kids. 

The steps for putting squishy roundish amphibians didn’t apply to a humanoid baby. He would have to know something about her and he didn’t know anything. He hadn’t even known she existed until a few moments ago.

“I can’t try?” his voice was only a whisper. “Even if I can’t do anything, can’t I at least get to know her.” 

The demoness frowned, “Why are you so persistent?” 

Marco laughed, “H-poo, I don’t know how you can have me chase you for sixteen years and you're still surprise that I won’t give up.”

Hekapoo opened her mouth but the boy spoke again. “What is her name?”

“Minerva.”

“Hiya Minnie.” he tried to make his voice high pitched; something which sounded excited and child friendly. He wanted to hold the child but as he held his arms out her mother lifted the baby out of his reach. 

“No” She stabbed her fingers at his chest, stopping his advance. “Listen Marco. You were probably right before. I was playing with you. It was just good fun on my end but for you must feel like you’re starting all over again. Missing your dragon, your sword and well, can’t really go into detail about your looks in front of Min.” 

Her voice stopped as she looked at the distance and smiled as if she was remembering the night that resulted in Minnie. Her smile slowly faded and she continued. “And I am sorry about that, but that’s all it was for me. Playing. I tried to fix it. Gave you back your time and Minerva, I thought that maybe what you never knew couldn’t hurt you.”

Her next words seemed to echo to him. “-because Marco, we can’t be what you think we need to.”

There was a period of silence in the air. The teen boy opened this mouth and then closed them. He took a step forward and then back again and when it seemed that he was ready to speak again the only voice heard was Hekapoo’s.

“We’re aren’t going to end up together. It’s impossible. If you really want to do the whole family man shtick, you’ll have to find someone else.”

Marco swallowed saliva that he had become strangely conscious to. “Hekapoo, but-”

She interrupted. “The time we spent together was great, but I have had a lot of boyfriends before. Maybe a few who were like you. Thought we had something special. They all disappeared in the end. They moved on and I let them.”

“Was it just like this?” Was this just a thing that she did. Did she steal away men, challenging to them to some trial only like some fairy tale? “How many kids do you have?”

“Only this little one. This is different. I was reckless. I must’ve been brain dead that day.” 

“So you had a lot of guys who loved you, and okay maybe you know what happens then. Maybe I would’ve forgotten you. “I kind of thought that maybe that is what you wanted me to do. I’m not too sure now. You said that was the plan but he plan has changed. This isn’t your usual affair. She changed things.”

“Maybe she has,” she faltered. “But I don’t know if that exactly means that you have to spent your life watching over her. It doesn’t exactly make any sense.”

“Sense? I’m standing in front of my daughter who I just met for the first time after her mom told me she gave birth to her in a month. I’ve kind of given up on making sense of things.” he shook his head. “What I do know is that I’m not leaving here knowing that I’ll never see her again.” 

“You know I could run away again.” she pondered out loud. “Make more clones then you can count. Twice as many as last time. Third times, four. Enough that you’ll never hope of finding me.”

Marco smiled with confidence. “Doesn’t matter. Last time I was just trying to find a pair of scissors. This time I’ll be chasing after something a little bit more important.” 

“And when you’re thirty again and she’s sixteen. What will you do?” she looked down at her daughter and then the baby’s dad. “She’ll be old enough that it won’t matter.”

“Maybe she will be but I’ll hope that she’ll be happy to see me. I’ll be happy to see her.” She looked at Minnie and the baby giggled and drown as she looked back. Marco gaze moved up to meet Hekapoo’s. 

“Besides. You say you're doing this so I don’t waste my life. Would you rather I spent that time looking for her? Or would you rather I spend that time with her?”

“Oh glob.” who thought that running down the stairs could leave you so exhausted. You would figure it be a cake walk. Gravity was doing most of the work at that point. Kelly’s heart however was on fire when she got down to the lobby. 

Didn’t help when she then proceeded to race past the front desk, magic detector, front door and the moose who manned them all, slipping to the side of the building. She leaned against the wall and curled her legs towards herself so that she could sit comfortably on the space between the building and the edge of the land island, “Did you see that?”

She pulled her hair in shock, “Tad, do you know what this means?”

“Ya” her hair spoke back to her. “Pretty cool that Hekapoo and Marco hang out.”

“No no no. It’s isn’t that. I mean I guess they must’ve at least once-” she considered. “-but he said that baby has brown hair.”

“I could’ve told you that. We spent a couple hours with her.”

“No I mean-” she started. “You only-”

She wasn’t sure if she should’ve spoke considering the cans of worms her words could open. She had to tell everyone.

No no, she had to tell no one. This wasn’t something that she mess with. This was none of her business, plus she completely hated drama. The thing was that Star’s boyfriend apparently got another girl pregnant. “I really don’t want to get involved but I think as Star’s friend I should really say something.”

She slowly slid against the wall, falling onto her side. She ignore a grunt from her green bush of a boyfriend as his body hit the floor, “What should I do?”

Why did she have to be the one to decide? Anyone else would’ve been way better in this situation. If Pony Head was there she would’ve known exactly what should’ve been done. She was Star’s best friend after all.

She pulled out a compact mirror and both her hands held onto it with the tips of her fingers, “Maybe I should tell her. She’d know what to do” 

She turned her head and muttered into the grass and dirt. Pony Head would know what to do but that would still mean that Kelly would have to tell her everything she saw. 

“This is going to be so hard to explain.”

Why did Hekapoo ask her of all people to babysit? This wasn’t a stray thought. This was something that she straight out asked the woman.

Hekapoo could make an army in seconds. She usually used it as a party trick but a snap of her fingers wnd boom, instant babysitter.

Her words? Something along the lines of ‘Don’t want the kid to get sick of me so too soon’, that her daughter needed to get to know different people at her age 

It made sense even though Kelly wasn’t sure if she was the best role model. She didn’t really have experience with babies. She hid in her hair for the first hour that she had with the infant which made the whole thing more difficult than it needed to be. She wasn’t even one hundred percent sure that the girl had developed object permanence quite yet. Would explain the crying besides for the obvious absence of her mother. 

From little Minerva’s view her mom left her with some strange lady only for that lady to then disappear leaving a green bush behind. 

Her thumb unconsciously opened up the compact and before Kelly knew it there a familiar and extended “hey,” from the mirror.

Kelly let out a whine, her mouth was against the grass and dirt, making her hard to understand.

“Hey Kelly what’s up girl.” the disembodied horse had spoke. She made a groan and a moan. “Excuse me can you move my mirror a bit for me?”

Suddenly the view of the mirror moved out a bit. More of Pony Head could be seen and soon she saw too deer looking woman standing by her. She was hovering over a reclining chair and Kelly could see that where the floating head was that there were a lot of towels. 

One of the goat woman were holding a nail file which she graced against Pony’s horn. “Sorry bout that girl, I’m having myself a little spa day. You know that this whole running Saint O’s thing is really stressful.”

She relaxed as the deer woman went to work, closing her eyes. “Anyway what can I do for you girl?”

Kelly laid there, face first into the grass and dirt and whined.

“Babysitting for Hekapoo?” one eye opened. She must be a nightmare to work for girl. Bet she’s holding in all that energy since she can’t mess with people in the Bounce Lodge no more.”

A wet towel were brought up by one of the deers and as stream flew off it they laid it onto Pony Head who gave a relaxed sigh. “I don’t know how you could accept that. Remember that she did to that one guy who was trying to mess with her. I swear I’m still having nightmares.”

Kelly could feel her friend rolling her eyes from behind the towel. “And ya, I know that I was the one who actually pushed him into the portal but you don’t just threaten to trap someone in a nightmare dimension.”

Pony paused. “But man. She has a kid? I feel bad for whoever her hubby is.” 

Kelly whined once again.

The towel slipped off as the horse head brought herself up straight. “Wait. You didn’t just say what I think you just said, did you?”

Kelly muttered into the dirt.

“That was rhetorical. My ears are like perfect.” Pony Head beamed with pride. “But man, who would’ve thought that old earth turd had the nerve.”

Kelly turned her head, removing her lips from the obstruction, “I normally wouldn’t tell this to anyone, but shouldn’t we tell Star? After all he is her boyfriend.”

“What?” Pony reeled back. She stared Kelly right in the eye.

Kelly stared back.

And PH bursted out laughing. “That guy dating Star? Man that’s a good one Kelly. Girl, my lungs wouldn’t be able to handle this if I had any.”

“Wait they’re not?”

“No my girl. Stars way too cool for that guy.” Pony looked up and concentrated. “but now that I think of it he is dating someone I think. Star mentioned it to me.”

She squinted her eyes. “Think I met the girl too. Man she was pretty chill. Can’t believe that guy would do this to her.”

She gave a grin to her green haired friend. “Girl since you trusted me with this I’ll make sure it’s put to good use. Gonna make sure everyone knows about this.”

Kelly gave a gasped, opening her mouth. “Wait Pony-”

“Don’t worry I’ll leave your name out of it. That guy’s gonna see what’s happens when you mess with a girl, y’know?” She gave a firece smile.

“Really Pony I really don’t thi-” Kelly’s words threatened to overlap each other.

“Later hun.”

There was a click and her mirror became just a mirror. Kelly stared at the compact and her reflection was what stared back with the same shocked expression that she wore.

“Oh no.”

Marco stepped into his room looked around and let out a deep breath. 

He looked around. Wondering if anyone had wondered where was. He never went anywhere without telling someone. At the very least he tried not to.

It was a habit that he admittedly started to neglect ever since he met Star. As she tended to go where she pleased and as long as both of them was gone at the same time then his parents knew that the both of them were safe. 

He checked the outside of his room and even walked to the top of the steps and looked down. When he saw no one, he figured that there must’ve not have been a panic. That he got away with it and that no one notice that he was gone or maybe if they did, they just trusted that he’ll old enough that he’ll be okay. 

He let out a breath.

Walking back to his room, he brought his door gently to a close and stalked towards his laptop which laid open as it usual did on his desk. 

Out of his pocket, his hand pulled out a small rectangle object. Something that when he first saw, he couldn’t help but mentally describe it as what a usb would look like if some one let some rock candy melt onto the plug. 

It was a strange yellow color, something Egyptian themed with a blue light on the side and a large blue crystal poking out of one end.

He place it flat next to his laptop and position it carefully. If he remember the instructions as Hekapoo have told him then he’ll just have to log on. 

He entered in his password. One that he had set up about a month ago and allow the computer to load up the desktop. 

The device came to life. The crystal on it’s tip started to glow. First as a fickle but soon with the intensity of a small light bulb. The light started to escape the mineral and shoot towards Marco’s laptop. The beam hit the computer's usb port.

A message popped onto the screen.

Would you like to use this unit as storage?

He pressed ‘okay’.

He clicked his mouse once then slid it and clicked again.

What popped up was Minnie. 

It was actually a kind of old fashioned picture. A naked baby butt on a carpet. A pet near her. The pet in this case being a familiar dragon cycle. She had a while nearly toothless smile as she reached for Nacho’s snout.

His old friend looked like she didn’t know what to make of the tiny demon. 

He had a week. More like five or six days depended on how you counted them.

He had that time to explain to his folks and his friends about his situation. 

Star was the only one who knew about him being gone for sixteen years.

About him being gone for eight minutes. 

At the time it wasn’t really a big deal to Star and he didn’t really feel up to talking about it so neither one of them mentioned it to anyone. 

Now suddenly he’ll have to tell everyone everything before that weekend.

Hekapoo was going to drop off his daughter friday after school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not one hundred percent sure how I feel about how Hekapoo's and Marco's conversation was written. I had about three different endings to it. The first I felt was abrupt. The second ended with Lekmet interfering, which I liked; I tend to get stuck writing between two people and there isn't really a reason he couldn't interrupt. Though I changed that ending cause I felt that It was a bit corny.
> 
> It went with Lekmet speaking in his unintelligible animal noises which Hekapoo would talk back to. Eventually she would surrender and agree to allow Marco weekend rights. When asked by Marco what Lekmet said to convince her, she would response that she doesn't actually know what Lekmet says. I found it funny but I wasn't sure it was the correct way to end a serious conversation. 
> 
> My third attempt is what's in the chapter currently.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janna hangs with Star. Marco hangs with dem bois.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this ended up being longer then the previous 3000 words chapter. Not by much I think 4700 something but hey maybe that means I'm getting better at writing for longer.
> 
> As always I'll be fixing sentences as I go along. My grammer isn't the best but I can definitely fix missing words or spelling. 
> 
> Other mistakes will take longer.
> 
> Janna is featured in the chapter. Should probably add her to the character tags though Marco and Hekapoo are still the two main ones.
> 
> As a last note. Haven't seen "Just Friends" yet, should get on that biz before I continue anything.

It was Sunday and Janna was bored. 

She was bored yesterday also, but she had occupied time with completing her homework. It wasn’t like she was looking forward to the assignments but it was there cluttering her backpack. So why not do it? Now that it was done with she had no activities planned for sunday afternoon. 

Jackie had of course waited until then to do her report or as Janna knew Jackie waited until Sunday to start procrastinate her report. Her blonde friend would very likely start writing the actual essay on her phone during first period so that she could hand it in during sixth. 

If this had been earlier in the year then Janna would’ve considered asking one of her back up pals and that would’ve proved to be just as fruitless. 

Hope was adorable and could actually have some pretty great ideas every now and then. Some of them pretty sneaky which always surprised Janna considering how timid the girl often was. The downside was that she usually played it safer than Janna liked. The best course of action was to have someone to help bring her out of her shell. Peer pressure was the key and without it there was a great chance that Hope would actually have rein of her instead of the otherway around. She actually was good with words and manipulation. She could prove a dangerous foe if she ever gained the self confidence to utilize her innate talent. Janna however didn’t feel like a quiet afternoon, like Hope would want and so she’ll have to pass on hanging with her for the day.

After that she would have to start digging. Leah was nice enough but the diagnosis was the same as with Hope. Quiet girl who only ever had fun when she was pressed into. Through to be honest she was worst cause she wasn’t quite as clever as Hope was. Blake was a guy who had wasn’t afraid of having a good time. On the flip side however the dude was more Jackie’s friend then he was Janna’s, meaning that she didn’t have any leverage on him if things went south. Detention club? First rule of detention club is that you don’t talk about detention club. 

Second rule of detention club? 

Second verse same was the first. 

Marco? Meh pass. 

That is normally where Janna would be out of options and be resign to what would feel like a lifetime of boredom. Normally this is when the residents of Echo Creek or as she liked to call them, the common folk would rush into a panic at whatever cruel fate that she would no doubt had in mind for them as a result of how the dullness affected her mind. 

That what would have normally been the case however that status quo died a bit more than two months ago. 

Janna had made a new friend and with that a whole new world opened up to her. Well to be literal an infinite number of worlds opened up to her. 

Star Butterfly, magical girl exchange student was a really cool chick. Not just because of the wand and the powers, but her attitude was something that Janna could get behind. Some might’ve found that strange cause perky wasn’t something that Janna didn’t seem to do unless things were going south for someone. Jackie, her best friend, the girl she would usually hang with wasn’t perky. She had a lot of energy but when she wasn’t on her board or on a jog the girl was as a sloth. An attribute Janna shared with her. With Hope, yes she was nice but she wasn’t really perky. She would often a positive thought every now and again or even offer favors for those around her, but she wasn’t perky. 

Star was perky and Janna was just fine with that. Maybe because while in most cases she would connect perky with fake and Janna didn’t think that it was at all possible for the princess to tell a lie let alone fake her emotions nor motivations. 

When she saw something, she did it and put one hundred percent into it until something else caught her eye and you know what? Janna could get behind that. 

When she wasn’t having a scheme of her own, Star was absolutely fine with taking suggestions in chaos from Janna or whoever else she knew. The wand bearer was down for anything. She was strangely like Jackie in that way.

That similarity was also something Janna could get behind. 

If Janna suggested trying to summon the dead with a ouija board, Star did it even though she could probably summon the actual dead with a flick of her wrist and then she would love it.

In fact Janna found it awesome that a girl with all of Star’s powers would still be down for the things she liked. Made her feel a bit more like a real spellcaster. 

Yes, Janna could never call Star boring even if chilling was the only thing they were doing. Janna could find something to distract herself with. 

In this case Janna chose betting her allowance on construct fight club. She allow herself to relax with her legs sprawled out in front of her as the entertainment fought, other constructs placing bets and cheering their pick and jeering the other contestant. The only other humanoid person or real person depending on how you consider the legitimacy of life that came from Star’s spells was Star Butterfly herself who instead of the wad of bills that Janna had clutch in her hand, had some gold coins piled in front of her in a similar fashion that someone would stack poker chips.

The match up for the evening?

Living gelatin cube vs lion head on a wheel. 

“Be ready to lose big, princess.” Janna spoke just loud enough that Star could hear over the rest of the crowd considering of beings from the interdimensional girl’s imagination.

“I think we should let the boys do the talking.” a sly smile grew and the blonde nudged her head in the direction of the fight. 

The lion wheel took a lap once around the jelly square. It’s singular head never allowing the squishy shape out of it’s sight. It glared at the gem monster before it drove towards the dead center of it and then never left the center of it. It was struck. “Woah woah woah, what’s going on.”

The lion wheel spoke in a relatively normal voice before it started to dissolve. The cube forced more of the head’s being into itself as it devolved it. Something that even Janna would’ve found disturbing if the dematerialization didn’t result in pink n’ blue sparkles and confetti. 

“What a rip off” the bills that were in Janna’s hands found themselves flying at Star’s face. 

The victor of the bet only responded by pumping two fist in the air letting out a ‘woohoo’ as she shot up from the floor. She gave a twirl which brought a smile to Janna’s face, before doing a small victory dance. “S Butterfly wins again.”

However the jig started to turn more into a bouncing motion, “time to take a victory lap over to the ladies room.”

“Hurry back. Got to get my cash back. I’m saving up to buy a fiefdom.” Star was already out the door and Janna laid content amongst the constructs who were preoccupied with the bets they have made with each other. 

There was a vibration.

Janna eyebrow raised and the drop. Whatever that was, someone else will deal with it.

Then there was another buzz. She could guess where it was coming from this time. Somewhere over near Star’s bed, probably her bedside table. 

That was pretty far away and she couldn’t reach. She tried, sticking her arms in a ineffectual manner towards the other side of the room. Nope Janna has not gain super streching from the looks of it. Guess whatever that noise is, it’ll have to go unconfronted. 

There was a third vibration and that was the camel that broke the camel’s back. Janna shot her head back and whine. Guess she’ll have to see what that is. 

Janna scooted her back up the wall, kicking her feet of the floor until she was standing straight up. Soon she was in front of the source of the noise.

It was a little compact mirror. It was buzzing so hard that she actually saw it slowly inch towards the edge. Trust Star to have the magical version of a cell phone. It was like in one of those saturday morning shows that take place in ancient times. You know the ones where the creators want to create use a cool setting but are also afraid that kids won’t relate unless they have the same tech. Like where we are in ancient Greece, I’m gonna send a tweet over to Sparta, then some ancient mythological hero proceed to tie a message to an owl or whatever’s leg before throwing it miles over to the city. It was adorable.

It almost as if that giant mirror she had against the wall was for show more than anything. 

She flip the compact in her palm and pushed it open with her thumb. “Hey, you’re that Janna chick, right?”

Not like Janna was going to wonder who this was. She only knew exactly one dismembered unicorn. A shame, she should really network more. “Hey Pony Head. Star’s over in the bathroom. Answering the call of nature.”

The floating head made a noise that was the mixer of a grunt and whine. “Well she shouldn’t be answering nature’s call. She should be answering mine.”

“No I mean she’s-” Janna raised one eyebrow. “y’know doing the thing that everyone does while in the bathroom.”

The unicorn stared forward before blinking. “Taking a bath?”

“No I mean the other thing?” Janna waved as if she was metaphorically clearing the air of the idea.

Pony head blinked once more. “What other thing?”

“You know.” Janna lead on. She for a moment wondered if maybe Mewni didn’t have indoor plumbing but if Pony Head need what a bathtub was, then she should know what a toilet was or at least the magical equivalent of one. 

“Know what?”

“Releasing water.” 

Pony Head stared at the beanie wearing teen from the mirror which a confused expression on her face.

Janna stared back.

“Do you mean like from a cup or a bottle?”

“Are you telling me that you don’t-” Janna started before clamping down her mouth and staring at the horse's lack of certain organs. “But I’ve seen you drink? How does your body even work?” 

“Okay” Pony Head started slowly, extending her words. “So like when Star’s done playing with the sink or whatever. Could you like tell her I called. I wanted to tell her this first but like I got a whole list of people that I got to spread this to.”

“Will do.”

“Actually wait.” Pony spoke before Janna could close the mirror. “You’re pretty tight with that Jackie chick right?”

Janna twitched hearing her friend's name. Some people would call it a flinch, but Janna would insist that it was a twitch. “I might be.” 

“Well I think you got to tell her something.” Her face got close to the mirror, leaving Janna with a feeling that if they were face to face that the floating head would leave her with little personal space. “So I hear from one of my sources-”

The pony trailed the word as if she was testing it out, wondering if maybe another was a better choice. “-that, well you know Marco?”

The corner of Janna’s lip went back as she fought a smirk. She considered answering sarcastically. Something like ‘Marco, Marco who? That name doesn’t ring a bell’. 

“I believe that I am standing in his house, so yes.” She might as well make this go quick. Janna didn’t see what kind of dirt that the otherworldly resident could have on the guy that she didn’t.

Thing is the guy was pretty freaking clean which was boring and while Marco was normally scared by her scheming. The truth of the matter was that his overall blandest usual lead to disappointing searches through his privacy. Her hunts left her very little for her to fire at him other than the occasional teasing.

No one cares if you like space unicorns Marco, she wouldn't’ even bother bringing it up if he didn’t freak over things like that.

Pony Head lowered her voice in a stage whispered as in her voice was not at all softer than it was before. It was probably louder actual, probably meant for anyone around her to ‘overhear’. “So like here’s the deal-”

She told her and Janna almost eternal smirk faded completely. 

“-so you gotta tell your girl. She has to know.”

She opened her mouth a bit more then her words required her to.“Ya, I will.”

“And Star too. You have to tell Star.”

Pony Head could tell Star herself if she waited a couple seconds if the footsteps that she heard down the hall were any indication. That meant she had to hurry this up. “Ya, I’ll totally do that. You should go y’know spread that news a round. I’ll handle everything around here.”

“You know I will. Later gi-”

Janna snapped the compact close just as the door opened back up. 

“I’m back.” Star sang. From the utter relief in her voice, Janna could tell that it was a trip well needed.

Janna pocketed the mirror into her back pocket. She walked side to side with Star as the two returned to the betting circle. The constructs in the crowd waiting on their creator to proof into existence two more tiny gladiators. “Easy there, you make it show like you were gone for five years instead of five minutes.”

Star gave a small laugh. “Well things like that happen sometimes.”

Janna pulled out a couple of bills before the two sat back down. Janna on her behind and Star on her knees. “Hey Star. Where’s Diaz. He doesn’t want to get in on this?”

“Nah, he’s hanging over with his buds.”

“huh?” Janna for once actually had no idea what Star was talking about. Marco with friends? Did something slip by her time proven methods of information gathering.

“You know Fergerson and Alphonso.”

“Oh those two.” Okay so it seemed that something didn’t slip through but instead slip under. She didn’t really think they counted as an important development. “Didn’t even think he still hung with those guys.”

Star leaned towards Jenna. She had a huge smile on her face. “So why the sudden interest in Marco.”

“Just like to keep track of my playthings.”

Star’s brow bounced up and down. “Really?”

“Yup.” Never had there mean a more uncaring expression. 

The magical girl released a groan as she deflated. She allowed her body to topple over and her head to fall in her friend’s lap. “Oh come on Jenna.”

“You can’t fool a Butterfly. We know everything.” she deepened her voice and pumped her fist. “It’s in our blood.”

Jenna chuckled as she placed her hand on her friend’s shoulder and relaxed her back against the wall. “Me fool you? Wouldn’t imagine it.”

“So you’re saying that you don’t have a crush on Marco.”

What? Janna had a fickle of a frown that she tried to hide. Please Star, he wasn’t you. 

The teen had no idea where this idea that she had a crush on Diaz came from but it was something that she had to push against ever since she taught the guy how to pick a lock back in junior high. Of course Jackie was the one who first suggested it. Fortunately she didn’t think that the rumor would proliferate at that time otherwise she would’ve deck the skateboarder.

No that was a lie, she wouldn’t have.

She probably would’ve acted the exact same way whether or not she had known that people would have thought that she had a crush on the guy. She would’ve tried to play it cool. 

She would’ve still have blushed and Jackie would’ve still had used that as proof of her educated guess.

Either way Jackie wouldn’t have realized that Janna wasn’t blushing because of someone as plain as Marco Diaz. 

He wasn’t her type. She much preferred blondes.

The teen sighed and flipped her friend over, allowing her to relax the back of her head on top of her lap. She moved a strand of hair back. Star stuck out her tongue and Janna brushed her hand against Star’s scalp. “No way Butterfly. I could do way better.”

Turns out that he hasn’t really hung out with Fergerson and Alphonso in a while. From his perspective while had he had taken a month in order to make up for lost time with all his friends, he still saw his activities as reuniting with people he hasn’t seen in a decade and a half, but in this case they also agreed that they haven't seen Marco in what they feel is forever.

To be honest he didn’t actually remember their faces too much. In fact he was sure that he walked by them a couple of times last week without saying anything. 

In fact when the front door open and Marco asked for Fergerson only for the chubby guy his age to reveal that he was Fergerson, Marco’s friend reassured him that there was no offense felt on his end or maybe the guy just thought that Marco was being funny. The red hood wearing boy was afraid to ask for clarification. 

So when Marco stepped into the guy’s room, he was only equipped with stray memories of the two. Some from when they were in grade school, some in middle school and a stray memory in high school, maybe a couple months ago in this dimension of himself trying to force feed Ferg a whistle for some reason he could no longer remember. 

There sitting on the guy’s bed was Alphonso. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure. He had to be. Marco didn’t remember hanging out with a third person so this had to be him. 

The guy shot him with a look of surprise but offered with a nervous smile which Diaz exchanged with one of his own. Since he was giving away free smiles he turned to Fergerson and gave him his share of the awkward grin. 

Marco smiled.

Fergerson smiled.

Alphonso smiled.

Perfect, all three of these guys had no idea what the hell they were suppose to do. 

Maybe it would be better if Marco took a moment to jump out the window and walk away, never to come back. 

Alphonso thumbed the boomerang shaped object in his hand. The one with a long cord that went to the tv stationed a inches away from the foot of the bed. 

“Hey dude, whatcha playing?”

That didn’t start any major conversation. It didn’t really need to. Marco’s goal was more to take attention away from how tense the room seemed. 

It worked and soon they were playing some cheap go karting rip off that Fergerson swore was better then then the main steam one for whatever whatever reasons that were important to him. Normally Marco would be complaining not because it was awful but because he wasn’t playing well.

He had trouble holding the controller. It felt awkward in his hand and the concept of pressing buttons escaped him. It wasn’t like he didn’t remember playing video games. In his memories the actions were automatic. 

It didn’t really bother him. He doubted that if he was in a tranquil state of mind that he would do well and currently his mind was storming. It wasn’t like he could’ve cleared his throat and tell them ‘Hey I got a baby. K it was nice seeing you guys.’ 

What he said wasn’t any less out of the blue mind you. “Hey. You guys ever thought of having kids?”.

Ya smooth Marco. 

“Nah man.” There was a roaring laugh. The chubbier of his two friends opened his mouth. “But you know there are some ladies at school I wouldn’t mind practicing with.”

He waggled his eyebrow and Marco got the sinking feeling that he probably remembered the reason he didn’t hang out with his old friends anymore.

The kid looked back at him and frowned. “Hey man, don’t look at me like that.”

He raised one hand and scratched the back of his neck. The boy tried to focus his attention back to the screen. “I don’t really think of stuff like that.”

He place his hand back on the controller. His kart on screen started up again but if anyone look at his avatar they would notice a couple driving mistakes they he weren’t making before. “Why you’re asking man?” 

His other friend Alphonso spoke. The kid’s words sounded like bubbles if that made any sense and from what Marco could understand his statement was something like “Maybe he and Jackie were planning on sealing the deal.” 

“Really man? Gonna get married right after school? I suggest waiting a few years before you go down any aisles.”

“Hey wait. I’m not-” Marco wanted to go on the defend himself but as he thought about it. Dating during high school, getting married at eighteen sounded like something old fashioned and was probably not smart in this day and age but was a lot better of a situation then his current reality was. 

“Nah just um, wondering.” he wasn’t even trying to play the game anymore. He held down the acceleration but his cart swayed left and right down the virtual road. “I mean what would you even do?”

There was a smile and his bubble speaking friend spoke.

Marco gave a small chuckle in return. “I think having that many kids would be hard Al.”

There was another grumble of words.

Fergerson elbowed his buddy softly “Well if you think you could handle it, who are we to stop you?” 

There was a elongated grumble that Alphonso’s two friends somehow understood.

“Ya man I wouldn’t doubt that you’ll love every single one of them.” Marco gave him a small smile.

Fergerson abandoned his controller to his lap for a moment. He turned to Al and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Guy is a real prince, bro.”

“Ferg?”

The guy immediately went back to playing the game. He was in first place and wanted to defend his claim to fame after all. He wasn’t much a challenge though considering they weren’t playing any AIs and both Al and Marco weren’t paying attention. 

“Hey Ferg, what about you?”

His friend moved his body in synch with the cart on screen first to the left and then the right. Not that he had to but it seemed to be into it. “Oh um. I told you that I never really thought of it.”

Marco nodded “I get that. If you were to think about it now?”

Fergerson gave a side glance to Marco. His mouth was formed into a slight frown. He gripped the controller and released a deep sigh. “I mean- I don’t really know.”

“I don’t really think I’d be too good at it.” he let go of the controller. His shoulders rose high as one arm held the other. “Cause you know man.”

Marco didn’t know. Fergerson was trying to remind him of something but honestly all he could do was give confused glances at his two companions. 

“Fergerson sweetie!” there was a young woman’s voice from down the hall. 

Fergerson gave Marco one look and walked pass him to the door. He stuck his neck out of the hallway “Ya mom?”

“I’m going to be a bit busy tonight. I left you dinner in the fridge. Heat it up; three five O for thirty minutes.” 

“Got it.”

Fergerson stepped back and closed his room door. He turned around and looked at both of his friends “Hey dudes. I don’t know if you guys are busy but hey do you guys wanna stay over for dinner. It’s kinda of a pain to heat all that stuff up for just me.”

He walked by them. He picked up his controller before reclaiming his seat on his bed. “and man, if I had to try. Like your dad is cool. Maybe I’d do what he did.”

“My dad isn’t that cool.” Marco tried to downplay. He believed that he remember a key fact about the red head.

“One of the best two that I know.” he nudged Alphonso, who in return smiled sheepishly.

Marco didn’t tell his friends anything that day. He ate some pasta at Fergerson’s and went home later. He couldn’t however say that it was a waste. He had reconnected to an extent with his two friends that he felt that he was neglecting before he had even lost sixteen years of his life. 

He also found renew vigor in preparation for the weekend. He was even more sure now that even if he couldn’t do much that he needed to do whatever it is that he could. 

It still didn’t make this reveal any easier and on monday he still didn’t have the wits to bring up anything about Hekapoo. Not to Fergerson and Alphonso, not to Jackie and Janna and not even to Star. 

It wasn’t for a lack of trying. He actively spent the day to plan for a busy week. Something that would’ve given him time with each person that he wanted to tell. Janna, Jackie, Ferg, Al and Star. 

It wasn’t too busy. Not yet when he went home, he would plan time with his parents if he could. The two were always busy with some arts and craft or a party. They had an active social life for A couple with a fourteen year old son.

That afternoon after school he hung out with Jackie. Well it wasn’t just Jackie. There was also Star, who sat on the side as Jackie helped him to stake. There were also some other people who Marco knew, though only because he felt that it was important to know some basic facts about classmates instead of any actual familiarity with them. No Janna through strangely enough. Marco however didn’t pay anyone too much mind that afternoon. He only focused on Jackie. 

What would she say? He imagine the worst case scenario, her crying and running off but that didn’t really seem like her. He imagine the best scenario. She understood completely. This fantasy also included him winning the lottery despite not being old enough to buy a ticket and becoming queen of Mewni. Never will he have to shower alone again.

It was ridiculous, the worst case seemed more likely and he hated the fact that he was aware of it. He however had to tell her. 

Which he would’ve but when he thought about it. When he was wobbling back and forth on a plank on wheels and she was holding him straight, he couldn’t.

Especially when at one moment she grabbed both of his shoulders to balance him. He gave a smile that he hoped was cool and she gave one that he knew was cool. She would giggle and give him a peck on the lips and his lips would stay closed. 

There was a part of him that knew he had to act immediately but there was also a part that told him that he could wait until thursday. That he should try and be happy with her because things might end when the truth gets out.

He couldn’t argue with the latter right now. He didn’t do anything wrong did he? He thought she would’ve been with someone else when he came home. If he had gotten back home, but she waited. He knew it was only eight minutes to her but it still felt like she was completely loyal for sixteen years. He didn’t want to betray that.

He however had a daughter and even if it had to end, Marco knew it would be better if he was honest for the last few days. That in retrospect honesty would win out a happy lie. Too bad that when curfew hit he still couldn’t open his mouth.

When he got to his room door. He waited. He watched Star go to her room. She smiled at him and waved before doing a twirl as she shut the door behind her. 

He smiled for a moment and then let out a breath that he didn’t know he was holding. It was almost like he was sucking up his gut all day.

He entered his room.

Provided that Star didn’t feel energetic that night he would have time to think of a battle plan for the week. He needed to decide who he was going to hit, where and at what time. 

He thought that maybe he should type something down on his laptop. 

Unfortunately there was someone at his computer desk already.

The screen was unlocked. On display was the picture of Minerva. The baby grabbing for the dragon, same as before. Not like the picture would move when he was gone. 

“Hello Marco.” a voice came from his computer chair.

Marco gathered saliva as his mouth suddenly felt dry. “Hey Janna.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that everything set up here is clear but I also hope that I didn't end up your head with it all.
> 
> No Hekapoo in this chapter but she'll return and you probably won't have to wait until Marco reveals everything to all his friends.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Janna and Marco have a talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this took me longer then expected. I threw out the first three chapters a week after each other. 
> 
> This one was almost a month ago if I am remembering that correctly.
> 
> That mostly because I was a bit busy at work this weekend. I usually write these out at my weekend shifts when things are slow, but a lot of things changed up so I had less time to write. This chapter was also a bit hard to write. I hope Janna's portrayal is believable.

“Cute kid.” she was leaning back on the computer seat, resting mostly on her hip. She looked more like she was draped onto the seat then actively sitting on it. 

Marco took a step to the side. Most likely to try to move closer to the laptop while staying a reasonable distance out of the girl’s bubble of personal space. 

Janna dropped an arm back and the laptop inched away from Marco. “This isn’t one of those photos that just came with your computer as a background is it?”

He took a step back and the laptop inched back to its previous position.

“Or maybe you took this during one of your field trips with Star.” she trace her hand on the computer’s trackpad. The mouse icon spun around the picture of the infant. “Or maybe it’s just a hyper realistic drawing.”

Her laugh nearly sounded like a grunt. “Never knew you had such a talent with art. Remind me to bring you next time I want to tag something.”

She didn’t know what he was going to say. What excuse he was going to use but she was ready for any of them. What Janna didn’t expect for him to stand there, unflinching. “No none of those.”

His words were blunt. Something that she never would’ve expected from Diaz at least not when he spoke to her. There was always a sort of tone in his voice that showed how nervous she could make him. That was gone and what was there was resignation. “It’s exactly what it looks like.”

“Exactly what it does it look like?” Janna sat straight like a stern teacher would. “Tell me what idea I’m suppose to to conjure up when I see this?”

“I-” Marco didn’t want to say it but he had to figure out the easiest way to explain this.

“Cause it looks like you have a kid.” she interrupted. “While you’re dating my best friend.”

She stood up and Marco remembered a very real fear he had of her.

He should’ve found it ridiculous. He’s a grown man, mentally at the very least. He shouldn’t be intimidated but he knew that there wasn’t anything he had to bargain with. He could only hope that she would listen to what he had to say. “Janna I-”

“And man I have to give it to you. How old is this kid? You kept this under my nose for at least a few months.” she smiled and laughed.

Marco didn’t understand how she could make both actions equal parts terrifying and angry. 

“Really thought you were a nice guy. Had me fooled for how long?” she paused and looked up. “How long did you basically stalk Jackie?”

Marco hesitated to answer. Not only because he was sure the question was rhetorical but because honestly he didn’t know. Guess his whole childhood which from Janna’s perspective was his whole life.

She stepped aside and leaned against the desk. With one hand she tilted the laptop’s screen slightly back. “the kid looks like they’re half a year old.”

She looked up. “So six months and let’s say this kid went through the full nine months before whoever poor girl you slept with pulled them out. That’s fifthteen, more than a year and while this is going on you were still blushing and stuttering; trying to get the girl.” 

“Janna please.” Marco raised his palms. 

“Dude I was on your side.” her smile faded. She drop any pretense of playfulness. “Don’t you know how annoying it was to stand there as you tried to flirt with her.”

Marco didn’t say anything. 

He didn’t know what how to respond as he heard what he could only describe as Janna choking on her words, “It was so hard.”

Her eyes- Marco could’ve been wrong but they seem to water just a bit and then Janna voice started to raise.“I would’ve done it years ago if I was you.” 

He had to stop this. If she spoke any louder. If she started to yell- Marco didn’t know if his parents were home or not but it would be really hard to explain if they overheard any of this. 

“I’ve only met Star this year.”

Janna paused. Was it only a year? Base on how close Marco and Star was it felt like it should’ve been longer. Janna wasn’t friends with Star as long as Marco had been and it still felt like a lifetime. She just had an aura that just said ‘love me’. It felt like she’s been on Earth forever, but she hadn’t. Star transferred in at the beginning of the year. 

It was March now. That’s seven months. Even if the baby was born early the timeline didn’t make sense considering how old it looked. 

That would’ve meant that he would’ve had met this girl who he hypothetical slept with some time ago which would be fine but the baby had horns. He met a girl with horns before Star?

It was- well it wasn’t impossible. The Diaz hosted a lot of strange students before, the list including a llamma and robot. The fact that Marco met Star in the first place ripped the word ‘impossible’ out of the dictionary, but it was still very unlikely. “How?”

How did a fourteen year kid have a kid of his own? “It’s- It’s a long story.” 

“Make it simple.” she made it sound like an easy task, but it wasn’t as if he could stand there. She wasn’t going to get bored and walk away if he just said nothing. 

It wasn’t simple but Marco tried to make it as easy to understand as possible. “Oh.” 

It was just that a simple ‘oh’. It was soft, at least for Janna. Anyone who spent more than a minute with her could tell that much, but Marco couldn’t tell if it was sympathetic or if it was judgemental.

He scratched the back of his neck. “So ya. That’s it basically.” 

“Man.” Janna paused and she looked away. Her gaze wasn’t on anything in particular. Her eyes was just avoiding him. “That’s a bit janked up.”

He didn’t know if he should nod a bit. He guess she was right. This was a bit of a mess. Whatever this all was.

Janna breathed in, breathed out and then she finally looked at him “and you still plan on doing this. Y’know doing the whole ‘dad’ thing.”

She grimaced, “Am I supposed to be all supportive of this?”. 

“I don’t know.” Marco put his hands in his pocket. “They’ll be kind of weird coming from you.”

“Ouch.” 

“Sorry, just-” he searched for the words. “I’m more use to you being like ‘real’. If that makes any sense. Like I’m putting everything on display here. So tear away is what I’m saying.” 

“Kidding man, but this is a bit more then making fun of your new haircut or casting a hex on you. This is big, really big.”

“What’s with my friends on placing curses on me.” Trust Janna to make that sound causal. “I know this is big. It’s just Minnie, my daughter. She’s going to be here in a few days and everyone is going to know. So it’s better if it’s out there I guess. You can go ahead and just spill. To out me to everyone.”

Janna tilted her head and her eyes just started drilling into the center of his forehead. “Diaz.”

Her voice did something he never heard it so before. It shuttered. “Wanna know a secret?”.

She took his silence for a ‘yes’. “I have a giant crush on Jackie.” 

Any sentence with more than one word would’ve came out all clustered. Good thing he only needed one to get his message across “Why?”. 

Why was she telling his this?

She simply stated. “MAD.”

“eh?” how elegant Diaz.

“Mutually assured destruction.” she stated as if she wasn’t one hundred percent sure if she had said them correctly. “Since you apparently believe that I’m gonna spread this around. There you go. I know your secret. You know mine.”

“Ya, but my secret is not going to be a secret much longer.” 

“Just making sure you know that the days you have left: being known as the safe kid instead of the teenage dad. I’m not planning on taking those away.” 

“Oh” Marco said, “cool I guess.”

He could stand a bit straighter knowing that. “So. Jackie?”. 

“Surprise that you’re not the only one dogging after her for a couple of years?”

“No.” he stated “well yes, but since when?” 

“Junior high. Young enough to be in pigtails but old enough to realize that changing in the girl’s locker room was a bit more awkward than you think it should be.” she reminiscent “Jackie, you've seen her. She is so-”. 

She didn’t really need to say anything. Marco understood completely. “Yes she is.” 

“And we’ve been friends for years already. Everytime I’m with her it’s like I have this partner in crime. Everything we do is like a big heist and I guess things like that can be between best buds but-.” she struggled. 

“Janna. You don’t have to say anything if you're not conformable.” 

“I just want you to know that I'm being straight.” they both ignore the irony of that sentence. “What you got on me now is real.”

“I wouldn’t say I have anything on you. I don’t think anyone can blame you for crushing on Jackie.” Marco smiled “she’s kind of amazing.” 

“Ya she is.” Janna reaffirmed.

The two of them allowed the agreement to remain in the air as they thought about the blonde.

Janna was the one who broke the peace. “You have to tell her.”

“I know.” his hands covered his face. His eyes eye closed but he still tried to shut them ever fully like if he concentrated maybe this whole thing would just disappear. 

“Then why haven’t you?” He didn’t answer. He had many ways to respond but none of them felt right. His back met the wall and he slid down to a crouch. 

The girl stood before him. Her arms rose, her hands reached his shoulders. She knelt down to meet him eye to eye. “I’m going to be as serious as I’m ever going to be.”

Marco breathed in through his nostril. He opened his eyes and his pupils shifted towards Janna. She continued. “Serious as a heart attack. I don’t like it but you have to hear this. It’s not going to be okay. Jackie isn’t going to hear this and just say ‘that’s alright’.” Janna paused.

“Actually she might do that but if she does then she’s lying. As much as I love her she tends to keep some things bottled up. She tries to pull that then smack her for me.” Janna tried to smile. Maybe if she could smile at this then Marco could too. 

She couldn’t, she was able to gather up a smirk that only held for a moment. “She’s going to freak out. I don’t know if she’ll do it right away or if she’ll do it after a bit, but she’s going to freak out. There’s no going around this and Marco this doesn’t sound like-”

Janna trailed off. Her mouth hung open for a beat. She hands gripped his shoulders. “-it’s not your fault. You couldn’t have known this was going to happen. This isn’t exactly something they cover in home ec.”

She hopes he would smile at her little joke. He didn’t. “This could- this whole thing just might be a deal breaker and I know that listening to me doesn’t sound like the best idea considering- well everything.”

It wasn’t like she hadn’t given him poor advice before. None of it was for something as real as this “When it comes down to it. Even if it’s not your fault. Even if you might lose Jackie over this. You have to tell her. It won’t make her stick around but down the road it’s better for the both of you if you do.”

He swallowed and noddes. “Thanks Janna.”

She was right. He knew she was.

Her grip relaxed. “Hey don’t mention it. Besides you going to keep the lid on my secret shut tight. Should make sure that everything goes smoothly.” 

She offered her hand and he took it. Between that and the wall he was able to get back up to his feet easily enough. Janna sighed “Actually feels a bit good. That secret of mine was causing me to bug out and now the two of us are finally on some equal footing.”

“Great.” Marco actually smiled. “Maybe I can use this to this to finally get my house keys back.” he joked.

“Easy now. I can call the cops on you, you old perv.” she smirked “What type of thirty year old man dates a fourteen year old girl?” 

Marco groaned “Argh. I didn’t need to think about that.”

He pinched his nose and she laughed. 

Marco looked up then down and spoke.“Hey Janna. It’s not like I’d ever tell anyone.”

She stuck her touch out hin “Ya that’s kinda obvious. You don’t have the nerve.”

“Through I’m going to be completely honest. I’m really happy that you don’t have a crush on me.”

He chuckled as her palm swatted his arm. “One day I’m going to kill Thomas for that rumor.”

She wanted to check up. See maybe if he was having second thoughts. It would all be easier that way. Easier for her and easier for him. So she snuck in again. 

It wasn’t hard. She was ageless and with infinite time she had the basics of many skills. Sneaking being one that she felt people generally overrated. It was simple to gain access into his house.

Any portal not inside directly in front of him would remain unnoticed. Her first journey to his domain proved that to her. Disappointing, she knew that she trained him better than that.

He didn’t even sense her when she was right out her door nor did he feel her when she cracked the door open. If there wasn’t the current crisis between them than she would’ve had the mind to whip him back into shape. 

There was no time for that at least not in his dimension with the standardized time sequence.  
It was a waste of time. All Hekapoo saw as she peeked into his domain was him talking to some girl his physical age. She didn’t know who she was. She wasn’t Moon’s daughter. She would’ve recognized her. Maybe it was that girl that she remembered him mentioning a few times to her in the first few years of his journey in search for her. What was her name? Jackie.

She was pretty sure the name was Jackie, to an immortal like her, a few years back was like remembering a few days back. 

So this must’ve been her. Hekapoo didn’t think she looked like an awful choice. She wasn’t bad looking for one. The dimensional mistress could sense a bit of a spark within her. Probably would go to waste in his magicless wasteland.

She however didn’t make Hekapoo exactly want to leave the guy alone. She always allowed her exes to get with who they willed and she wouldn’t interfere because they looked right for each other, but here Hekapoo could still feel herself making plans for the guy despite her best effort.

It was something that frustrated her and she had to remind herself that even if this girl wasn’t right for him as she was guessing than that didn’t mean he wouldn’t down the line. He was still young for his species. 

“Hello?” A feminine voice came from behind her.

Oh shoot. Shoot.

If there was one thing she didn’t want was for him to see her. Not until friday at least. A silencing spell. She needed a silencing spell. 

Hekapoo brushed her arm in front of the space in front of the door. A faint red flow appeared, visible to her and hopefully not to anyone else. It was something that only someone with a bit of magical aptitude would make it out. 

She probably could had make it completely invisible but she had limited time and she had to brute force the magic. She had basically warp space around the entrance to mess with the soundwaves.

Not the easiest way to disrupt sound but what was she going to do? She was a girl with limited interests. She liked space, she liked fire and she liked clones.

Everything else she knew was mostly the result of a fleeting interest and yet she was still one of the strongest in the cosmos. Don’t like her style? Fight her.

She turned to the intruder.

The intruder of her personal space. 

She was well aware that she was actual an intruder in someone else’s home.

Behind her was a woman with brown hair that for some reason that the demoness couldn’t explain instantly endeared the woman to Hekapoo.

She smiled at Hekapoo. “Hello are you a friend of Star’s?”

The otherworldly lady stared long and hard at the woman in front of her with a flat expression before answering simple “Yes.”

Janna strolled to the door. “Well see you later man.”

“Ya. See you around.” Marco gave a weak wave. 

“And hey Janna. Thanks.” he said.

“Anytime Diaz, anytime.” she opened the door and paused. She raised her hand and for some reason that Marco couldn’t understand reached for thin air. 

His dad walked to the view of the doorway and Janna arm dropped to the side. 

“Oh hi there Janna.” the large head of household greeted.

“Hey Rafael.” she casually saluted as she stepped to the side of his and left. 

“Marco, I wanted to see you.” his dad poked his head in. “Your mom is making dinner today so I wanted to head over to the supplies store for some marble. Could you help me bring them in?”

He turned to his laptop. The screensaver was active. Good old space unicorns. He walked open to it and snapped it shut. He smiled to his father. He had a lot to plan for but he honestly couldn’t remember the last time they spent time together. “Sure why not. Working on a new project?”

It was a quick trip, surprisingly. Usually his dad was pretty picky with his choice of tools. Conveniently enough when they got back dinner was basically already done. Pretty quick for his mom who often left the task up to her husband and so was no doubt out of practice. 

Marco couldn't help but ask how she got the food out of the oven so quickly and in response she went on and on about how much of a good cook Star’s friend was. 

It wasn’t something he expected to hear. 

Janna didn’t seem like the cooking type but to be honest there was a lot of things she did that day that Marco wouldn’t have expected.

The next day of school was over before he could blink. Not literally as if he was once again trapped some time displaced dimension once more. No he could clearly remember the usual suspects, math class, social studies and english.

It was just that he try to keep his mind off of today’s task and it worked. Not that he ever really found school to drag on slowly. He was usually the type to have of bit of fun learning, but today it was just a bit quicker. Too quick if you ask him because then he had to have a talk with Jackie.

“Sup Marco.” Speak of the devil. A devil who rolled down the halls on her board. She smiled with him and he didn’t know whether she batted her eyelashes at him or if that was simply his imagination. 

He didn’t have the strength to sound nearly as excited to see her as she sounded to see him “Hi”

“Hey Marco.” his best friend was behind her along with the two girl’s mutually friend. The beanie wearing girl he just had a conversation with yesterday. She gave him a look and he looked back.

Janna nodded and elbowed the magical princess next to her. “Hey Star. I got some spells book I smuggled into Diaz’s locker. Was wondering if you could check some of them out.”

“Sure girl. You know I can smell out magic a mile away.” Star smiled and practically dragged Janna along as if the girl didn’t know where he kept his belongings. 

The hallway was unnaturally empty or so it felt. Just the two of them.

He looked away from her. 

“Hey Jackie. I was wondering-” he looked her dead in the eye. “-can we talk for a moment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It is really hard to write a character that is naturally calm but is currently angry. I wanted to write Janna as losing their cool without actually losing control.
> 
> As always I will fix my errors eventually.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie has trouble admitting to herself when she doesn't feel good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been a while. Wasn't sure how to write this. I started this chapter a few times. Eventually I decided to take all my attempts and mash them together. Not sure how well it went. 
> 
> Wanted to mention this last time but shout out to Greys-Giovana. I was just googling my name and I found that he actually drew Marco looking at Minerva's picture on his laptop. 
> 
> This is really cool. Never thought anyone would actually drawn anything I wrote. Thank you so much.

There were some steps that echoed through the house as the sole of her sneakers met with the wooden floor. Softening only when she made it to the carpet in her room. The door slammed behind her and she fell onto her bed. She curled into herself. The only thing separating her knees and her chest was her board which she held, arms crossed to her heart. 

Her legs hurt. It only with the comfort that her bed gave her that she then realized that she could have boarded the entire way. She felt so dumb and she parted her lips to tell herself that.

The words didn’t come out easy. Her throat felt clogged and letting each syllable made tears gather around her eyes. 

She didn’t say anything else. Why would she?

Words weren’t making her feel better and she refused to continue any action that would only harm her. Besides ranting wasn’t her style. Ranting was a bit too dramatic for her. Drama was something that she desperately avoided. 

She had to think of something but all that came to mind was a familiar boy in a red hoodie. 

  


“Hey Jackie. I was wondering can we talk for a moment?” he asked her.

“Okay.” Jackie Lynn frowned. “What about?”

Her skateboard was under one of her arms. She shifted it. Holding it between the two of them. Each hand gripping a side. “It’s not like we don’t talk all the time.”

Jackie Lynn didn’t feel completely cool, which wasn’t a completely foreign feeling to her but she was sure that she was able to hide it well enough. It was an acquired skill of her’s. 

Marco breathed deeply in a way that Thomas was for a moment worried that she would have to intervene before her boyfriend had one of his moments. “Well It’s about last month.” 

  


Jackie shook her head and she was back on her bed. Her vision was blurry. She scolded herself silently. She was wanted to forget that. Thinking about it wouldn’t help. It wasn’t like it needed a review. There was no mistaking what had happened.

She had to focus away from that. Come back to it when she was ready to accept it. Ready to accept that he-

Anything else.

She had to think of anything else.

  


“Jacqueline, be a good girl and stay here.”

She was a good girl. Pretty patient. That is what her nana always said about her. In retrospect she probably meant lazy but she didn’t mind the positive spin on it. Her nan would also describe her as a bit curious at some points but most of the time she would just sit there. She didn’t find that description to be insulting though she did remember nanna saying it slowly as if she was delivering bad news. 

At least her nana must’ve thought it was bad news because the woman she often spoke to didn’t seem to grow upset at the news but then again she never remember her nanna’s much younger companion adopt any expression other than a blank and empty look. Well except for one time. 

It was so long ago but at the time that her nanna took her to the dangerous shallow water of the aqueduct the incident was only the day before.

The expression was one that she at the time couldn’t make sense of but she knew now was one of hate. She could only guess based on the evidence that her nearly five year old mind had chosen to bronzed in her memory that the rage was directed at her. It must’ve been because she didn’t believe that it was coincidence that her nan would on the very next day take her to a strange place which she had not been before. 

“Sit right here until I get back.” her nan smiled at her in a way that didn’t make her want to reciprocate the expression. 

“Okay” she said in a sing song fashion. One often used by kids who might not agree with the command given to them by adults but who are smart to know that the only way to continue the conversation would be to acknowledge their task.

Nanna moved down the lane and around a corner. She took a peek back quickly. She had often did the same at home in the few occasions where she had to leave her grandchild alone. 

No. No, this wasn’t the same. It didn’t have the same playfulness it did at home.

Jacqueline didn’t giggle at it. Maybe because she didn’t do it lightening fast as if daring the youth to let her elder catch her doing no good or maybe it was because the woman didn’t have the mock expression of suspicious that she would always use. A signal to her that her nan would find out about anything she did while she was away.

At that time the expression wasn’t funny. It just wasn’t. 

Maybe it could be described as sad but Jacqueline couldn’t fully trust her memory as that could be a sign of future knowledge affecting how she perceived the memory. Whatever expression it was it wasn’t jagged and amuses but instead soft. 

While her elder, Jacqueline never remember her nanna looking old except for that moment. 

  


Jackie took a deep breath in and she was on her bed once more. She wasn’t sure why she was thinking of that at this exact moment. It wasn’t a memory that had disappeared up until now. It something that her mind went to every once in awhile, something that always followed her. 

Usually when it came it had the smallest of impacts. It made her smile not as bright or frown a bit deeper. It never completely ruined anything but it was something that often irritated her and she would often try her best to avoid it when it drifted into her thoughts. 

At the moment it didn’t seem to affect her in any meaningful way but she knew where that story would lead and she was tired of reliving it. Like a television rerun she chose to try and skip the memory for something else.

  


“Well It’s about last month.” 

“Last month?” Jackie Lynn chose her facial expression slowly. Eventually deciding on a smirk of sorts. “What is there to talk about? You grew a second head, asked me out on a date and when I returned the favor we fought an army of rats. Boring, right?”

She gave a laugh and for a moment it seemed to actually lift him slightly out of whatever funk he had sunk into. Only for a moment. Then he went back to- well she couldn’t really call it a frown but it was far too serious expression for her to really call it anything else. 

Uh Oh.

“Hey Marco, is everything alright?” was he having one of his ‘moments’, as she liked to call it? As much as she cared about him, she knew that he could go from chill to a mess in no time at all. Though it had been a bit since his last fit, a little bit after they started dating. 

“Yes” he said while shaking his head ‘no’, “it’s just…”

He trailed off. 

“Come on you know you can tell me. Whatever it is.” she lowered her skateboard to her waist. 

He looked away from her.

  


Jackie turned over on her mattress and she was hugged her skateboard even closer to the point that she normally would have been worried that her mode of transportation would snap. Right then the idea of breaking something was actually alluring. She of course resisted. Logic told her that anything she did now would still be here when she felt better. If she did feel better. Logic was no fun. 

She wanted to laugh at the possible joke but what came out instead was a sigh. 

  


Jacqueline stayed glued to the spot, leaning, not quite sitting at the edge of the concrete. Her lower half dipped into the water. 

The patience of a four year old, even one as lazy as she was would die out. It was inevitable that the child would eventually go off and explore even only to search for her missing guardian. 

She explored the watery tunnels. She couldn’t say how long. Repetition wasn’t something that discouraged a kid. The only fact that she could use as a passage of time was that she had been exploring long enough to forget where it was that her nanna told her to wait. Not helping was the fact that the sun had gone down way before she had even began her journey.

None of this mattered to her. She was patience and was sure that her nan would find her. Until thense would continue to explore and nothing would stall her. Not that shadows in her peripheral vision which tricked her into believing a misshapen form were steps away behind her nor the tunnels which allowed any little sound to echo around and amplify which transformed any creak into a sharp scream.

  


Jackie cringed.

Descending the stairwell, she paused as it creaked with each step. In the empty home the noise rang throughout the house like a shout. 

Jackie when she found the strength to leave the room, did so more out of her desperation. She had exchanges her board for a pillow which se held to her stomach. 

It caused her to cringe every time and she could only thank small miracles when she finally reached the bottom. She turned into the kitchen.

  


Jacqueline was hungry.

She wasn't the best at telling time even when she had a clock, but if she did have a clock she was sure that it would tell her that it was way past snacktime.

Her Nanna was still nowhere she could see her and she was the one who usually gave her food besides for a few times when she had been sick. Without her, Jacqueline would completely missed snack, for however long it usually was.

To her luck she found a piece of candy. Fortunately she didn’t have an adult around to stop her from putting strange objects in her mouth. It was a bit bitter probably from soaking in the dirty water around her but she felt it go down her throat and hit her stomach, a sign that it was a meal that she desperately needed.

  


Jackie let go of the pillow dropping it onto the counter dead center of the kitchen. She reached down and pulled the washing machine open taking out the glass. She must’ve place the cup down onto the granite a bit harder then she meant to because it made a piercing tap. She brought her hand to her temple and breathed deeply. 

Stepping onto the tips of her toes she reach upwards to the cupboards. She needed aspirin.

  


Jacqueline started to feel queasy. Her belly felt as if sea urchin was sticking into her innards. She had a sneaking suspicion that it was the candy. 

Maybe she wasn’t as fortunate as she first had perceived.

Not only did her stomach churn but also her eyes grew droopy. If she was in the reaches of her nanna she would have no issue sleeping anywhere even on the hard floor but without her guardian she found the willpower to not give in to the temptation of relaxation. Instead to continue to move back and forth the watery tunnels. The aqueduct wasn’t complicated but to a four year old it was a maze. One that she didn’t want to be in any longer. 

She turned another corner. Seeing nothing but a wall of trash she at first wanted to turn away from the gross mess which polluted the water, but she saw something in the heap. It was dark so she wasn’t sure if she saw it correctly but she was sure that there was something moving in the dark.

  


“Jackie.” she turned and admittedly dropped the pill bottle. The bottom of the container hit the floor and pills gushed out. 

The figure in the dark frowned and Jackie barked “Janna.” 

The blonde’s friend had the grace to look embarrassed. A rare sight for anyone who knew the girl. “Sorry.”

An apology. Also rare. An sincere one at that.

“It’s cool Jan. Kind of on par for you. Old habits don’t die fast.” she tried to show a smile. No harm, no foul. 

“No.” Janna placed her palm in the corner that separated them. “I’m sorry about that crud with Diaz.”

  


As Jacqueline squinted she knew that she definitely saw something living on the pile of trash. 

It was lumpy looking, shaped like maybe a pillow or a beanbag. 

It was some kind of otter.

It turned to her clutching some type of food while resting on top of the mass heap.

The animal took a bite out of what it was clinging to quickly while keep it’s eyes on Jacqueline. From what she could tell the poor thing must’ve been tired. The hair below it eye’s were black, resembling the bags under her nanna’s eyes when she needed a nap.

She didn’t know what to make of the little guy. She probably should be scared but she was brave or at least she reminded herself that she was brave. Jacqueline wasn’t going to just turn tail and abscond. That would completely be courageous of her. 

Instead she went down the list of emotions moving into the second item, sympathy.

If Jacqueline was more eloquent than she would speak to the creature. The strange otter was obvious tired. The fur around its eyes symbolic of it’s actually skin underneath.

Instead she decided to display sympathy the only way she knew how to. Imitation. In this case she decided to try and adopt the mannerisms of her nanna whenever Jackie was hurt, tired or just plain cranky. A couple of pats followed from a warm hug.

“Oh there there.” she opened her mouth, putting on her best granny voice which considering she was four and has not developed acting abilities lead to the voice sounding very much like her normal tone.

She reached out her arm, actually excited to sooth the animal.

That is about how far she got before the strange animal swiped at her.

  


Jackie Lynn felt pain.

“So” began her boyfriend or well she wasn’t sure what his title was now. “That’s it.” 

Her eyes were on him. His eyes were on his shoes.

“So that its.” she mimicked. He nodded his head slowly.

What exactly was she suppose to do with this? How did he think she was going to act? How should she act? 

Was she suppose to smack him? How dare he just drop this on him out nowhere. Was she suppose to laugh? Make a joke? Haha invite me to the kid’s first birthday.

That just sounds lame and stupid. Jackie Lynn couldn’t pull it off anyway. She had to act normal. She had to think about how she act if this how thing didn’t screw her over. Wait that thought was a bit harsh. This wasn’t about her. This was screwing him over too.

He was already beating himself up. She knew this. She knew him.

She had to not make this worst. She had to act normal. She had to act supportive.

Jackie Lynn opened her mouth, “Marco.”

He flinched and his eyes shot at her. There was a feeling of instant regret in her decision.

He would want an answer now and she had no idea what to say. Her throat tightened and when she opened mouth it was as if she was learning to talk all over again. She let out a noise that sounded like “I” and whatever other words she was planning to let out got caught. 

Her vision grew blurry. 

She tried again but the words she knew she should say didn’t want come out. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand hoping to clear whatever was blinding her. He hand felt wet. “I have to go.” 

It wasn’t her. Sure Marco and she were the only two there and sure the voice sounded a lot like her but it wasn’t her. That wasn’t what she wanted to say. She wanted to tell him that it was fine. “I have to go.”

“Jackie, I’m-” he began. She didn’t see his facial expression. Jackie Lynn already turned around. “See you later.” 

She ran. 

  


Jacquline felt pain. 

There was a long scratch in her hand. She moved back. The otter glared at her and made a sound that was somewhere between a bark and a hiss. It didn’t follow her. Never touching the water, it instead it stayed on the trash pile. She stared at the cut. 

It didn’t hurt her at all. She was a brave girl. Everyone would tell you the same thing. She was brave and she wasn’t going to cry just from a small boo boo. 

She cover the cut with her other hand. The wind was blowing on the open wound and causing it to sting. 

It was okay. Everything was okay. It’s just a small cut. 

The dumb otter was right. This whole soothing thing didn’t seem to work as well coming from her then when it came from her nanna. 

“What’s going on down there?” Jacquline swung around. She hug her arm to her body, protecting from the intruding voice. What she saw was a large figure. They must’ve been larger than even nanna. She had no idea what this was. A face if they had one was covered in a light gray gray hood. Any details she might find was hidden in the dark. Even the moonlight above was covered by clouds. Whatever it was it leaned against the concrete slope down towards the aqueducts. “Kid, what are you doing down here?”

Her nanna told her never to speak to strangers. 

“Come on kid. You shouldn’t play in the water down here. It’s dirty.” the hooded figure slide slightly down the slope. 

Jacquline still said nothing.

“Come on. I’m not going to hurt you? Whats wrong?”

  


Jackie felt pain. “You knew?”

She took half a step back. There wasn’t a lot of room for her to maneuver around the center counter of the kitchen.

Janna sighed, “Told me yesterday. Told him he had to tell you. I see that he did.” 

The blonde let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding as the tension left her body. Her mouth opened. Her mouth snapped shut and a stream of air shot from her nasal. After a minute all she could accomplish was a small nod. 

“So how did you take it?” the girl cringed. What type of question was that? “I mean, what did you do? Marco wasn’t exactly willing to talk about it.” 

“I didn’t” Jackie was sure that she was able to say that in as neutral of a tone as possible.

Janna leaned forward, “You didn’t what?” 

“I didn’t say anything. I just bailed.” she admitted. “Janna, how- what am I supposed to do?” 

Janna looked away. “I don’t know. This whole thing is crazy. I mean. I was hoping that you guys would figure it out. I don’t think I should be the one to give you advice here.” 

Jackie began to slump down a bit.

“You should talk.” her friend added quickly, “This is between you and him. So you guys should figure it out. When you feel up to it.”

The blonde stood up straight and walked away.

“Wait Jackie.” Janna’s eyes followed the girl as the blonde walked out of the kitchen.

“Jackie” she repeated as her legs finally kicked in and she skipped out into the living room. 

The skateboarder was already on the couch, curled up with her legs to her chest. A phone from the landline in her hand.

“I said when you were ready.” Janna repeated. She didn’t wa to push the girl to any action. “I didn’t even mean to give you advice. I was just thinking out loud.”

“I know.” Jackie confirmed. “I just need to say something.” 

“Jackie” She have known Janna for so long. How is it that she didn’t know that her friend could speak so softly. “You shouldn’t- you shouldn’t let all this junk hang in, but when your head's all messed up maybe you shouldn’t just let it out immediately.”

Janna did an amazing job at keeping eye contact when both of them knew that the other didn’t have the strength for it. “Cause sometimes you can end up dumbing trash where you don’t exactly mean to. Then it’s like dude ‘why are there banana peels and half eaten meat loaf on my lawn. That’s suppose to be at the village dump, not burying my lawn gnome’, if that makes sense.”

Janna made a noise that resembled a chuckle, hoping that Jackie would mimic it. 

Jackie just nodded and raised the phone to her ear.

  


Jacqueline started to move away from the hooded figure. 

“Please. I just want to help.” the voice was loud but not as loud as she would expect from a thing so large. The man pulled down his hood and she sae his eyes full of concern.

It reached out a brown hand towards her. “Come on let’s get you out of the water.”

The little girl relented. 

She looked at him. She looked at his legs. 

She reached out her uninjured arm and allowed him to pull. For the first time Jacquline stepped out of the water. 

“I got you.” He picked her up, carrying her like one would carry an infant. She didn’t mind. He looked around, “What are you doing out here? Where are your parents?”

She didn’t respond. “You look horrible. Pale. We need to get you to see somebody quick.”

The man began to go back up slope. Jacqueline looked at the water as it drew further and further away. 

“The misses said I shouldn’t go jogging late at night. ‘Never know what I find.’ I guess she was sorta right in this case.” Jacqueline looked up at the man who stopped. The top of the slope was grassy with a long wooden bench. “I’m going to make a quick phone call.”

He sat her down on the bench and she shivered. The wind surrounded her. “You must be freezing. How long were you in there?”

The man paused for a moment. Gray cotton shot at Jacquline, covering her. She panicked for a moment but after a minute of struggling her head popped out from underneath cloth. The man was no longer wearing the hood but instead had black shirt which must’ve been underneath. He had a seashell necklace. 

“Sorry.” he tried to apologize but he must've found something amusing with her reaction. Out from his pocket was a flip phone which he dialed into. He spoke into it and someone she couldn’t see spoke back. By the time he was done she had finished wrestling the hood he gave her and was able to get it on properly. 

He closed his phone and looked back at her, “First things first. We should take care of that cut.”

She looked at her forgotten wound and nodded.

He smiled down at her. “I’m going to take you to my house for a second. Would you like something to eat? My wife is there. I’m sure she find something that you’ll like.” 

She once again nodded and he picked her up once again. 

That was the first time she went home with her dad. 

  


Marco stared at his ceiling and while it was a simple construct of plaster and wood without a face, he still would like to imagine at it was staring back.

He did it. 

He would like to say that the worst of it was over. That he had ripped off the bandage with his confession and now a weight was lifted from his shoulder. That now that Jackie knew who he was expecting on friday- what kind of responsibility he was expecting, that everything would stop and come into sync.

He would like to say all that.

He just couldn’t.

That was the worst moment of his life. A life that regularly consisted of near death experiences. 

If there was any proof that he didn’t know Jackie as in truly know her after years of childhood stalking, it was the face he made when he told her. He didn’t know that her face could contain such heartbreak. That she could take on an expression worse than mild confusion, but now he’d seen it and he would never forget it, how betrayed she looked. 

She waited for him. 

He was gone for so long and when he returned this is what he brought to her. 

He wanted to do better. He wished he could. 

When he was gone. She was one of the people that made him doubt. Made him second guess chasing Hekapoo in her world sized obstacle course and just go home empty handed. He had thought ‘would Star miss him?’. Did his parents think he was dead? 

Would he never get to truly know Jackie? 

All these thoughts disappeared after time. Everything eventually disappears with age and his mind went through a decade and a half. 

He was thirty. Of course everyone would move on, but then all of a sudden he was fifthteen again and there she was along with those once missing thoughts. Would he get to know Jackie?

He had plans for dinners and dates. One on one time. 

He was going to know everything about her and she would get to know him, even the facts about himself that he didn’t like. Along the way they would enjoy themselves.

That wasn’t going to happen now. He knew that way before she ran from him like a woman possess. He could only just accept it. He didn’t even have the energy to make up a lie for Jackie’s behavior when Star came back just in time to see his girlfriend’s- ex girlfriend’s form pick up speed as she fought to get away from him. He just stood there for a moment before walking back to the safety of his room. He didn’t acknowledge his best friend the whole trip home.

The phone rang and he almost didn’t answer.

If it was any other tone he wouldn’t have but he knew that song.

Everyone he knew had a different tone. Tedious but Marco prided himself on his attention to the tedious. This song was one of two from Love Sentence’s last album. One song he had dedicated to his best friend, a certain blonde princess from another dimension. The other belong to a girl who’s name he must’ve known for his whole short life. “Jackie?” 

He heard his own name in response “Marco?”

“I’m so sorry. You deserve so much better and I messed up completely. I understand if you never to see me again. I’m just the worst. There is absolutely nothing I can say that would be good enough.”

“Marco.” 

“I wanted to be there, now I’m going to be a dad and I told you how much you meant to me. I told you about everything I did when we were kids, but it doesn’t matter anymore cause I messed up. I messed up hard.”

“Marco!” he swallowed his words and curse at himself in the back of his mind. Even now he was messing up. She probably wanted to scream at him. She deserved to chew him out and he was just rambling. 

He pressed the phone closer to his skull. 

“Just…” the short burst of energy she used to grab his attention was gone. He could believe make out what she was saying on the other line. “just whatever happens. Please take care of her. Promise me that.”

He promised but all he heard in return was dial tone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing goal: give everyone parental issues.
> 
> I also had to reread everything just to remember what day of the week i was on.  
> From what I see. Chapter 1 and 2 were Saturday. 3 was Sunday and Monday. 4 was Monday and Tuesday. This chapter takes place entirely on Tuesday. Ideally this gives Star and Marco's parents their own days to be brought into the fold.  
> 


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Playing hooky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next couple of chapters are going to be somewhat of a mini arc. Probably this one and the next. Maybe the chapter after that if It runs on long enough.

Miss Heinous was a patient woman. She was, really. After all she started a school to discipline the children of the regal. When the royalty of cosmos lost patience they went to her and nobility were known for their level heads and calm mask. These saintly people when they lose hope in their offspring, went to her. That should speak volumes of her composure and if the royal recommendations weren’t enough then her rate of success would. 

There was a time when every girl that went through her halls became the lady that they’re family wanted them to be but couldn’t teach them to be. She made it look easy. It wasn’t.

Some of the girls were crude and savage but any difficulties could be ignored once they were solved. That outside appearance of ease was much more important than the actual reality of her efforts. She created grace and poise and she did so while displaying both virtues herself. She felt that was an accomplishment worth patting herself on the back, but bragging was unbecoming. Also there was nothing to gain from being prideful of something that has long passed. 

While she was once the headmistress of the top reform of the cosmos, she was now the headmistress of a ten by ten foot plot of land where nothing resigned. 

It was an embarrassment. One that could be traced back to one individual. A young lady by the name of Princess Marco. A troubled individual that on her first day at the prestigious school had started a riot, a surprisingly effective one. Rebellion wasn’t anything new to Heinous, but in most cases the fire of resistance would quickly be stomped out by the a combination of both her guards and her older indoctrinated students. This was not one of those times. 

The skirmish, for lack or a better word lasted two days following the escaped of this rabble- rousing girl. She soon lost not only control of her girls, but soon her guards. It wasn’t really a secret but her guards weren’t strictly “natural” as one might assume. They were made from a few items that she had lying around her collections. Nuts and bolts, a few rare objects of witchcrafts and a couple of her more disappointing former associates. Nothing that would or no one who be missed.

It was much more efficient that her help was that way. Most people she worked with tended to be a bit more sensitive than she liked. She couldn’t count the all the events where her employees thought they knew better than her when to came to her charges’ rehabilitation. Fighting orders only wasted time and her creations had only did so once for every ten times an unmodified individual would and a few readjustments killed any arguments they had nice and quickly. 

The downside was that without her equipment any control she had were null and void. The fact that the adolescents far outnumbered her men was one issue. When they overran her facilities and wrench her constructs out of her control- well that was a disaster. 

That left her with only two men, the forever loyal and sweet Rasticore and Gemini, who if she was honest, only really counted as half a man. Maybe, three fourths of one if she was being excessively generous. 

“Madam. I have retrieved Rasticore’s tool from the quest mart’s lost and found.” the hunchback slithered near her and dropped the magical object that he could barely hold onto with his tiny gremlin like hands. “I’ll have to say that the journey was quite treacherous.” 

Still he was useful, Heinous dreaded to admit. It was to her luck that she had put him through all that extra conditions years back. It allowed her to keep a leash on him even as all her other men turned against her. 

“You’ve performed adequately.” It would gain her nothing if she praised the twig of a man too much. Wouldn’t want her minion to believe he was actually worth something. “Now back to your quarters.”

His quarters were the trunk of her only property, the car she had escaped the school in. 

Gemini stood there.

“Now,” she turned towards him. “Rasticore and I want to be alone. We’re going to watch Tiresias as it sets in the horizon.” 

In Henious’ arms was her most loyal of subjects or at least what remained of him after an unknown incident during his last mission. 

He was gone for now. The limb’s every twitch: nothing more than muscle spasms. They held no meaning but Henious liked to believe that he was communicating to her specifically. She couldn’t understand his exact words, but she understood the general meaning behind his gestures. 

Soon he’ll be back and when he was whole, Rasticore will finish what he started. This time he’ll kill Princess Marco.

These thoughts filled her with warmth as she watched the saturn-like planet set in the distance. 

  


The first sign that someone was beside Marco was a when he heard a slight thud against the locker next to his. The second sign was when his own locker opened up. It couldn’t have been his doing. He was too busy staring at it to do any such thing.

It was someone else and behold a hand that definitely didn't belong to him. His eyes followed the appendage, closer, closer until his sight arrived to it’s destination. In this cause the’ ‘destination’ turned out to be his current secret bearer, the troublemaker.

“So Marco, how are you holding up.” Janna flipped the locker open wider before pulling out a binder that he knew didn’t belong to him. 

“Janna that question suggest that you actually believe that there is any way I could feel that isn’t horrible.” 

She shrugged. “I thought it would be polite to ask anyway.” 

Marco nodded. He wasn't sure if she was joking or not. He usually would go with the former but they had this whole ‘honest’ moment the other day and that sort of thing really changes people. “How about Jackie? How is she handling things?”

“You’re not hanging around your usual morning spot to find out?” She saw the look he gave her. “Come on. We share a locker. You think I never noticed how you rushed here same time every day just to nod.” 

He wanted to counter that they didn’t really ‘share a locker’ as much as it was ‘her stealing locker space’ but instead he said, “I almost want to ask why you never pointed this out to her.” 

Janna tilted her head and he elaborated, “Could’ve creep her out. No girl wants a stalker.”

Janna shook her head, “Too risky. Back then it could’ve made her back off you but it could’ve backfired. Remember back then she didn’t even see you as an option. Pointing out your obsession could’ve brought her attention to you. Didn’t want to exactly help my love rival. Besides knew you wouldn’t have a nerve to do anything.” 

That made sense “Guess I’m lucky that Star helped me out when she did.”

“Don’t I know it.” Janna stuffed the binder in her bag. “Wish I had a personal matchmaker.”

“Didn’t think it’ll bother you.” Marco removed his backpack and unzipped it. “In retrospect you took me being with Jackie really well.”

“I don’t do ‘upset’. I channel that into more creative avenues.” She rolled her eyes.

Marco reached into his locker and dropped his pencil bag unceremoniously into his open pack. “That explains that. You ended up having detection for like a week straight after I took Jackie to the movies.” It was hard to tell at the time but there was a noticeable boost in Janna activity around that time.

‘The greatest art is inspired by suffering.” she smiled knowingly, “Besides plenty of fish. You know how the saying goes. Just got to throw in my line.” 

Marco blinked. “Anyone in mind?”

Janna eyes wandered down the hallway. Marco followed her gaze. He saw two familiar girls chatting near the end of the intersection at their own lockers. His best friend and her clone. Well he couldn’t call Starfan a clone, no matter how much of a compliment she would take it as. “Well I was thinking quite a bit about our residential magical girl-”

“Star?” There were no consideration that it was the other of the two. “Really?”

“What can I say, got a thing for blondes.” She paused for a moment, staring at specific features of the blonde for a bit longer than was probably socially acceptable. A large frown break her moment and her arms crossed her chest, “Just my luck however, she got it bad for some guy.”

“Oscar, right.” Marco shook his head. He just didn’t understand how someone as cool as Star could like Oscar Greeson of all people. He was - well some people considered him cool but he was too irresponsible for his own taste. Though Marco had to admit that the guy knew how to chill. 

“Ya that’s exactly who I had in mind.” Janna rolled her eyes and gave him a look he very rarely seen. For a moment he wondered what he missed that apparently his friend thought was completely obvious. The girl swung back and started to lean back against the locker adjacent to Marco’s. “There aren’t too many girls with as much confidence as Star and Jackie.”

“Unless you start going after Brittany. She got enough confidence for three people.” Marco bobbed his head down the opposite end of the hallway. Where the self proclaimed queen of the school was currently touching up her make up. One of her hench women was holding up a hand mirror as she did. 

Janna cocked an eyebrow and her eyes moves towards the cheerleader. Her eyes went up and down and back up. She brought a finger to her lips, “That’s an idea.”

Marco smirked.

Janna smirked.

There was a moment and then Marco smirked died. Metaphorically it was taken out back and shot, old yeller style, “Oh Janna you can’t be serious.”

She clicked her tongue and gave her best impression of the Cheshire cat, “We both know for a fact that I am.” 

“But she’s Brittany.” Before today Marco didn’t think he would have to spell that fact out to anyone. To be fair before this week he didn’t think he would talk about any potential girl for Janna. 

“Marco there are two types of relationships in this world.” her tone was of a parent spreading words of wisdom to a child, “There are the ones where you snuggle under a blanket, watching a movie Wednesday night and there are the ones that slowly transition from trying to tear each other’s throat to tearing each other’s clothes off.” 

Marco pinched his nose, “That’s an image I could’ve gone without.”

“You’re welcome.” Janna waggled her eyebrows. Sudden her head turned. The hoodlum took a long look through the hallway in a way that made it look perfectly natural, “So back to Star. She doesn’t know does she?”

“No.” The safe kid cringed. He bent his knee and took a look behind Janna, back down to Star, “I should tell her, shouldn’t I?”

“Hey man, I’m not trying to order you around. I’m not going to point at everyone and demand you spill the beans to them.” Her arms rose defensively, “Just clarifying, since she wasn’t exactly in the room when Pony Head was gossiping away your secret to me.” 

“Pony Head.” Marco’s growl caught itself in his throat. It was unexpected but at the same time he should’ve seen it coming. 

“I vaguely remember promising you a couple of normal days before things got twisted on Friday, but I hope you can settled for some abnormal ones.” Janna pondered. 

Marco’s eyebrow rose, “What do you mean?”

“Hey guys.” 

Janna jumped a bit. At least Marco thought she did. Even after this time he had trouble reading her.

Blonde hair stepped from behind his locker buddy. It belonged to a familiar face, his best friend, Star Butterfly.

“Star, just the girl I wanted to see.” Janna curled her arm around the magical girl’s shoulder. She moved in a way that didn’t at all look innocent even withdrawing her admitted attraction to her blonde. 

It of course went completely unnoticed by his friend, “What’s going on here?”

“So Diaz here got bit by that old adventuring bug.” the darker toned girl pointed towards Marco, who could only stare and guess what she was planning. 

“Oh sorry. Can’t keep track of every little thing I cast up.” Star frowned. 

All three stopped.

Janna shook her head, “What? Nah Star I mean that he wants to go dimension hopping for bit. Was wondering if you could hook a brother up.” 

“You know I’m down for anything any time.” Star pumped her arm, “I know just the place too. I can take you there right after school.” 

The princess gave her bestie a smile, turned and started to walk away. ‘Started’ being the keyword. Janna stepped after and turned her back around, “Actually bad boy Marco here was thinking of taking a sick day.” 

“Oh, Marco why didn’t you tell me you weren’t feeling well today.” Star particularly started to cradle her housemate. She checked his temperature with her back of her hand. Marco was turned around and he felt her girl push against his back towards the general direction of his house, “I’m going to get you right home and I know a couple of extra dimensional remedies that you are just going to love.”

“No Star.” Janna palm covered her eyes. Her head tilted back, “He’s going to skip.”

“He is?” The transfer student’s words were drawn out.

“I am?” So were Marco’s. 

“Hey I’m as surprised as you are, but you can never underestimate this misunderstood hoodlum.” she said as if it wasn’t at all her own idea.

“Oh Marco, you’re so bad.” Star giggled. She ducked started to rub shoulders with Janna,“You think the we’re finally starting to rub off on him?” 

Janna smiled, “Totally.”

“Janna can I talk to you for just a moment?” Marco’s arm move out gracefully around his bestie, grabbing Janna’s arm. He pulled her to the side. 

She sighed, “If you gotta.”

“Star give me a moment.” Marco told her highness who shrugged and granted his request. He turned to the troublemaker, “I’m not quite sure about this.”

Eyes rolled, “Really Diaz even now? Your life is about to change completely. Think of this as your bachelor's party.”

“Not married.” Marco deadpanned, “Hekapoo made that very clear.” 

“Baby shower, whatever.” Janna twirled her palm.

“Just for once Diaz, put away all that doubt and have a bit a fun. Like for a bit there. Before all this-” it was a bit difficult coming up with the exact words that described what was happening to the teen, “-stuff happened, you were really starting to live and after a lifetime of harassment I’m going to at least make sure you know when to have a good time. I’d be damn if I am going to let this kill whatever progress you made.”

Marco could actually see what Janna was talking around. He had started to relax. Maybe because he started to go on adventures with Star, maybe because he had actually made progress with Jackie or Janna’s teasing had started to finally sink in after all this time. Strange enough, even his time with Hekapoo had a lot to do with it before his recent revelation.

“It’s just-” he thought about it, “What if I get caught?”

Janna gave him a look but he continued, “My parents will get a call and then they’ll wanna know ‘why I was skipping’ and then I’ll have to tell them. I’d have to let them know about Minnie and I’m not sure if I’m ready.”

“Hey stay with me Marco. Or swear to god I will pacify the hell out of you.” If it had been anyone else it would’ve been more believable, but Janna place her hands on his shoulder. Her left palm rubbed up and down his arm, “I’ve seen Jackie play therapist to your panic attacks. I will shoosh pap you so bad, you’ll wish i didn’t shoosh pap you so bad.”

Marco let something out of his throat which he guessed was a laugh before rubbing dust out of his eyes. It was definitely dust. Stupid dusty hallway, “I think that I’ll be fine. You’ll probably right. I’ll be fine.”

“Besides I think your parent’s first instinct upon finding you skipped out would be to join you.” Janna smirked. 

He shook his head, “I don’t know about that.”

“First grade?” Eyebrows cocked and set to ‘i don’t believe you.’

Marco instantly knew what she was talking about. It was that day long ago that he learned about the horrors of 90’s fashion and his dad learned that the correct response to your son getting mis-graded on a test wasn’t to take him to egg the teacher’s house. Also he learned to make sure to double check addresses cause the cops are a lot more willing to overlook one egging then two. His mom wasn’t too pleased about the incident, especially how traumatized her son was a result.

It still gave his nightmares.

90s print shirt, overalls and a skull cap, just the thought sent a shiver down his spine. 

Marco made a face that only showed a trace of his inner suffering, “Mom didn’t like that too much.”

“And I counter with this: second grade.” Janna said. 

That was his mom’s turn. This time he got to learn the wonders of graffiti while his mom wore the hippest clothes she could think of. Backwards cap, baggy pants and a tube top, denim jacket combo. Why did they make him suffer so?

“I’m starting to think that my parents were just the experience I needed for raising a kid.”

Janna shrugged, “Probably or at least they will be once she get’s to her rebellious teen years.” 

“Excuse me.” Marco brought his nose up. “I believe that my Minerva will grow to be the perfect little angel.”

“Whatever old man.” She lightly pushed him in a way where he didn’t really move at all, or at least not because of any external force. “Just get going.”

He turned around. His bestie was waiting patiently. He moved towards her.

“and Marco…” Janna voice caused him to pause,

“Thanks. For listening me talk about-” she didn’t want to say the subject of their earlier discussion out loud. At least where there were prying ears. “-all that stuff. I’m not really out and a bout if you know what I’m saying.”

“Come on Marco. We got to hurry up before we run into Skullnick or something. She can smell a kid playing hooky a mile a way.” Star’s incredible bout of patience had finally ran out, “One of the downsides of giving her a troll nose” 

“Got it Star.” Marco nodded. He turn one last glance at Janna, “Anytime Janna.” 

Star pulled his arm, planning on taking him to somewhere the two could slip away from the attention of the school’s faculty. “So what were you two talking about?”

“Oh, you know.” he didn’t really feel like making up an answer, “stuff.”

“Oh right ‘stuff’”, Star muttered, obviously unconvinced, “Should I tell Jackie to watch out?” 

Marco stiffened, “What are you talking about?”

“Well I think Janna has a small crush on you.” Star whispered. Considering this was Star however, it was a normal tone of voice for anyone else. “I considered matching you two up, but you’re my bestie and I know you had your heart set on Jackie.”

Star bit on one of her fingers, “I feel bad it didn't work out. You and her. Maybe I can find Janna a nice guy. I can’t imagine anyone who wouldn’t hang with a cool girl like her.”

Marco snorted, “Star I don’t know what you think, but I can safely say that Janna doesn’t have a crush on me.”

  


Angie Diaz balance paper bags on one knee. Keys were dug out from her purse and she had only just stuck in her door when she heard the sound of fire crackling behind her. 

She turned around, but she had a sinking suspicion of who it was even before she had laid her eyes on the girl. 

“Oh Star isn’t home yet. Bet she and Marco are out on the town.” Mrs Diaz turned key, “They might take a while. Don’t want to keep you waiting.”

“That’s okay. Honestly I wanted to see if we could-” the girl struggled with the words.“You know- again?”

Angie had trouble understanding how such a pretty girl could have trouble talking to her. Thinks must be so different in other dimensions. If she was born on Earth, she would be swarmed by girls and boys her age. 

The first day she had found the girl in the hallway, just looking around. Angie found it a little amusing, the girl must’ve been fascinated by earth. Could anyone imagine that, an otherworldly visitor amazed by the little blue and green rock she called home, when all those other dimensions out there have to be so much more interesting. 

She had asked if the girl wanted a snack and in return the girl wanted to know if Mrs Diaz wanted help with any little thing. She couldn’t of anything. They ended up cooking dinner even though it was her hubby’s turn, but she enjoyed the time with the teen, just as much as when she spent time with Star. She came the next day too, when it was actually Angie’s turn to prepare dinner and again the two made something that her husband and her son had praised. It was wonderful. Angie secretly wishes that she could’ve also have had a daughter. “Oh, you want to help me cook dinner. Well I love the help, but three days in a row and I bet your parents must think that I’m a slave driver. I bet your mom or dad would look forward to spending the time with you more than I could.”

It was a sacrifice she was willing to make. Plus it didn’t do her any girl to hang with an old crone like her. 

“No way, my dad-” the red headed girl almost snarled, “-isn’t really the cooking type. Junk food is more his speed and ‘mom’, never had one of those.” 

The girl spoke a bit quieter as the sentence ended. 

“Oh.” Angie said simply, “Well I guess I don’t see why you can’t help around a little. Though I usually don’t cook dinner for some time. So you’ll might have to stop by later.”

The girl nodded but there was something there that Angie had recognized. Disappointment. 

“I know.” the misses of the house piped in before the girl in front of her could leave, “Since you’re here already, why not some tea for a bit?”

She didn’t look particularity excited, but she did smile. Mrs Diaz took that as her making the right decision. 

“Okay” Hekapoo accepted the offer. 

  


“And here we are.” Star stepped through the portal. Her arms up high in an act of showmanship.

“It is nothing.” Marco uttered. His arm also high in an act of mocking Star’s showmanship. “Seriously Star this whole place looks like dry plains and more, somehow even drier plains.” 

“Oh Marco marco marco. Have I ever steered you wrong.” Star rolled her eyes. 

He paused. He couldn’t exactly refuted that. She did always pick somewhere exciting. Sometimes more exciting then he was comfortable with, but exciting none the less, “No.” 

“The relax. I know a bunch of caves just over the horizon that are particularly begging to be explored.” Star stuck out her wand and pointed in a direction that looked no different than the rest of the field to the earth boy.

“Caves?” Marco rubbed his arm, “This isn’t another look for a sandwich. Is it?”

“No Marco.” she sighed. “I’m really sorry about that.”

He didn’t mean to remind her of that. He wanted to say something but she bounced back, as perky as ever.

“Oh look Marco” she physically turned him around. “Tiresias is setting.”

He watched as a saturn like planet hid out of sight, just across the horizon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That Brittany thing is joke. Probably. Maybe. 
> 
> I have that plot thread there in case I ever want to pull on it.
> 
> The funny thing is before Running With Scissors, I was a big Janna x Marco shipper. Well, as big of a shipper you can be with the shortage of stories about them. It feels weird sinking it in my own writing. 
> 
> I have a weird issue with rare pairs. I like them because I feel like they require a bit more imagination to pull off. There are a lot of times where having too many stories of a pairing can lead to patterns being developed for that couple. This can lead me to a weird spot where I'm sad because there aren't a lot of stories revolving around this ship and then later be sad because there are too many similar stories about a ship. 
> 
> Maybe I'll write a Janna x Marco story one of these days. That day is not today.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Girl Talk and Explorers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to put down a chapter real quick before The Battle of Mewni adds lore that completely wrecks any plans I had laid down for the story.

Tea was nice when you wanted to talk to an old friend but to be honest Angie didn’t really know Star’s friend that well. She was a bit quiet, but not in a meek way. Angie could deal with shy. A fact that surprise many but she was mellow enough to let someone out of their shell at their own pace. Though she had to confess that she usually ended being quite the bad influence towards her more passive friends. Some people would be surprised to know that her husband was actually quite the wallflower when he was younger. 

Hekapoo wasn’t shy. At least she didn’t give off that demeanor and that from Angie’s experience, if someone weren’t talking because they were afraid to then they weren’t talking because they didn’t want to. That made things a bit awkward. It also left the question of ‘if she didn’t want to talk to her then why was Hekapoo here?’.

“Is the tea alright?”

“It’s fine.”

“I could get something to eat.” Angie pointed to the general direction of the kitchen, “I have some crackers lying around. They go well with earl grey.”

“Don’t get up on my account.”

“I’ll just go grab them. Could go for a snack.”

Hekapoo made a grunt. Enough noise to let Angie know that the girl heard and understood her. 

Angie skipped towards the kitchen. The trip was a bit quicker than the mother had liked. She found herself procrastinating, getting a nice plate. It was a tough decision between yellow and blue, but the former spoke to her more. It also went well with her guest’s choice of clothing. She even went out of her way to spread the snack very nicely into a pyramid like display. 

She returned a minute later. There was only one minute less that the two had to wait until they could reasonably start cooking dinner and Hekapoo was still blankly looking at the television screen that she have left running. 

She had put on something she thought that a teenage girl would like. Star had enjoyed it, though that could be partly because of her general excitable personality and partly because Marco was the one she watched it with. Her charge might actually be the exception instead of the rule. 

Angie actually hated the film. It was actually a part of her husband’s collection and while she never hid how she felt about the movie, her son unfortunately inherited his father’s taste. 

It wasn’t like she was a film critic. The camera looked nice and the music was okay, but every time she actually put effort into focusing on the plot, she realized that the whole thing was melodramatic. The characters motivation didn’t match up with their actions, to the point that they did things that actively made things harder on themselves. No one had chemistry with each other, Angie wasn’t even sure if the heroine shared a single scene with her love interest before the two ‘fell so deeply in love.’

She could enjoy a romance movie, she just couldn’t enjoy this one. Everything about it was just so “Stupid.” 

Angie blinked. That wasn’t her voice.

The mother turned to her young guest. The demoness looked back at her. Hekapoo’s pinched her nose. The hand then slip upwards to her forehead and she rubbed her temples, “I’m sorry but this is just way too dumb.” 

The red haired otherworlder avoided Angie’s gaze, “Just like this girl keeps on making the biggest deal out of- and these guys are all over the- I’m pretty sure that one guy straight out changes actors at one point.” 

Hekapoo struggled to finish a thought. She was halfway to pointing out one issue she found in the film when another would just popped in her head. She did the only thing she could think of, rant. 

Angie took it with the biggest grin. Not because she agreed. She did, the film was trash but because she could use this. “They did?”

Hekapoo blinked.

“Change actors?” Angie clarified, “I’m going to be honest with you. I find this movie just so bland. The thing has never been able to keep my attention long enough for me to really notice.” 

Hekapoo grinned.

 

“Isn't it great?” 

“Ya.” he couldn't really find the words to describe the sight of the planet as it lowered. Beautiful? Amazing? Magnificent? Those could work. It was just so big and the sun reflect off of Tiresias as it went, giving it the imagine of a comet that Marco could almost swear was really falling to earth. 

He was tempted to bring out his phone but the lighting was not something he could catch digitally, nor did he have the time because soon the planet was gone. He wondered if he ran for it if he could catch up with the satellite. “It’s nothing like Old Youthful but I think it’s just as good.” 

Marco let out a small smile. Leave it Star to put as something as mundane as a geyser on the same level as whatever that beautiful sight was. He regretted his brief moment of doubt. The view alone was worth it. 

“I got to see it a lot as a tiny butterfly. This is actually this is a kind of traditional royal camp site, started by my great greatgreatgreat-” the princess let out a few more ‘greats’ until just before she lost fingers to count off on, “grandmama.” 

She lead him away from the landing zone. It was a bit of a walk. As they got closer the trail started to become visible and noticeably more steep upwards. “To be honest, it’s great being out of that stuffy classroom for a day and this way we have way more time to explore.”

As they started to go up the path turned into steps. Rough stone which looked they were improvised into stairs. 

“Sorry I couldn’t get closer. This whole place is rigged with some crazy security.” Star pointed upwards towards the top of the hill. Marco saw a lantern like post, black steel with a blue light that you could see through the glass.

“Tramorfidian crystal” She explained. 

Marco held that word before, “Like in Saint O’s?”

“Yup. There are a whole bunch of them up there. Janks up the scissors.” Star hooked her arm around her friend’s. “Come on. We’re almost there.” 

He allowed himself to be pulled upwards. He felt that if he was a bit shorter that she would practically be whisking him through the air. It was easy to forget with how small she looks that Star was several leagues stronger than he was. 

Marco had expected a plateau next to the crystal. He also got a bad case of vertigo when they reached the top and he got a good look downwards. It looked like a colosseum or an impact site. The same rough steps went downwards to the center. Marco intended to take a step forward. He was stopped by a hand on his shoulder. 

Arms flew through the air as Marco balanced himself. Star looked apologetic “Sorry Marco. Have to do something real quick.”

Star picked up a stick and chucked it underarm in the air. The stick fell apart before it hit the ground. Sawdust. 

Marco felt a lump in his throat. He tried to push it down. 

Star bent down at the base of the lantern. There was a matching black chest. “Sorry. Something my family set up. Don’t know why. No one really comes around here.”

Star traces her fingers against the chest until they rested next to a keyhole, “Just gotta open this baby up and pour some of this powder on us and we'll be good to go.”

She reached into her bag. The magical property of the sack allowing her to stuff her whole arm in, “Where is that key. I know it’s here somewhere.” 

“What is this place?” Marco got on one knee, going eye level to Star. 

“Oh, just the camp site.” Star continued to wrestle with her bag. “and some old caves. At least I never found anything else. Don’t know why this was all set up.”

Marco looked at the chest. He place his hand on top and just as a test, he pushed against it. It opened. 

Star blinked. The key now in her hand. She found it a little bit late for it to be useful. “That’s not suppose to happen.”

“Did someone forget to unlock it?” Marco suggested. 

Star shrugged and he shrugged back. 

Inside the chest was a clump of green dust. The mewman took a handful and dump it on the both of them.

Dusting off her dress, she stood and took a quick hop onto the first step pass where Marco guessed the force field was. He took a leap of faith and made his own hop, with some tickling at the most. Grades above falling apart like the twig did. 

There was another black chest on the inside. “This one is open too.”

That didn’t really have a lot of meaning to Diaz but the fact that his best friend took the time to point that out made him ponder. 

“I’ll close it on the way out.” she took one last look at the box before hopping down once more. “I’ve never been here without my parents before.”

He could guess that the first stop was the center. A flat stone platform. There were many stairways like the one they were descending that led down to it. Other then that were openings that slope down from that platform. 

These didn’t have steps from as far as Marco could see. On the other hand these slopes were both far down and poorly lit. “You used to camp here?”

“Ya in one of the baby tunnels.” he could clearly tell that she was thinking of something boring, “Between some statues of grandma Festiva and grandma Solaria.”

Star hopped “And mom never let me do anything around here unless I was in her sight and let me tell you that mom never wanted to move far while she supervised me. I never understood how she could just sit around and find it fun.” 

She twirled as she took hop. 

“Dad however taught me everything here. Monster fighting, swimming-” Star paused, “Well mostly those two things, but what else to do when you have a bunch of sea serpents just swimming around waiting to be kicked.” 

“Sounds like fun.” Marco couldn’t really judge. Fighting was one of his favorite activities to relax as of his first encounter with the princess. 

They picked a random tunnel and went straight ahead. Marco’s suggestion. Star had admitted this was her first time here alone and as far as the earth boy could tell there were no maps and no directions. It wasn’t as if they could scissor out of the cavity if they got lost. Not with the ground’s defense measures in place. 

As least they didn’t have to worry about where they were going. Star had originally used her wand as a touch. Casting fire from the top that lit the caverns and felt hot but strangely enough didn’t transfer heat down to the rest of wand as far as Marco could tell. Star, at least didn’t complain about her hand burning.

This idea ended quickly. The walls had embedded in them crystals that lit up in the presence of the wand’s magic. First from the torch spell that Star had cast, but with a little experimentation they found that the crystals lit up no matter what the spell was. It didn’t even had to be a spell, just Star summoning the magic from her family heirloom seem to be enough to illuminate the crystals. 

They were much brighter then the torch was. 

“Was these always here?” Marco turned to Star.

She shrugged “I guess.”

“You guess?”

“I didn’t have my wand before.” Star waggled the artifact in the air as if she was lazily conjuring a spell. Another crystal lit up, allowing more visibility ahead of them.

“Before?” Marco tilted his head.

Star lazily answered, “Ya, before.”

“Like ‘before your fourteenth birthday?” Marco pressed. 

Star let out a laugh. He wasn’t even close, “Try ‘before my tenth birthday.’”

“You haven’t been here since you were nine?” Marco looked at the ground as they hiked, “What about your folks?” 

“I don’t think so.” Star looked upwards in recollection, “I think dad got bored of this place after a while. That’s kind of his thing. Master one place, go to the next challenge. Mom never really looked like she was having fun, which is weird cause she’s the one always made sure we got here.” 

The two of them continued to march. Marco’s eyes never left the ground as they moved forward. He parted his lips and then closed them. Star stared at him and while she wasn’t completely sure of it, she might’ve seen a bead of sweat roll from his forehead. 

After a moment Marco spoke again, “Do they ever send someone. Like to check up on the place.”

“I don’t think so.” Star returned quickly, this time expecting query, “Marco, what’s up with all the questions?”

“There’s footsteps.” Marco answered. 

Star tilted her head to the side.

The earth boy pointed to the ground, “There’s footsteps. We’re been following them for like the last two minutes.” 

There were a trail of footsteps that followed both Star and Marco but there were another pair. The steps started way behind the two friends, barely recognizable after being trampled on but they were clear as day in front of them.

There were two different paths ahead. One went straight and the footprints continued to the other way. 

Star looked at Marco.

Marco looked at Star.

“I think we should follow them.”  
“I think we should turn back.”

“Star, who’s ever there, shouldn’t be. Hell, I’m not sure if we should be here.” Marco started to turn around. 

Star grabbed his arm, ensuring he would only make a 369 degree spin, “that is why we have to see who it is. This whole place is mewni ground, Marco. Catching intruders has to be like a royal duty.” 

Star held up her wand, “By decree of Star Butterfly, I say that we kick their butts.” 

“Star. You haven’t been in here without your dad and that was five years ago.”

“So?”

“What if we get lost?”

Star smiled, “Boo, I got us covered.” 

Before Diaz could roll his eyes and the improvised pet name a spark of magic radiated from Star’s family heirloom. The spark turned to light which materialized a ball of yarn. 

Marco inspect the sewing tool. Star grabbed it and tied the tip around her pinky before dropping it back on the ground. Taking the flat of her wand she patted the side of the ball, “Go on, right that way.” 

The yarn started to roll. It traveled back in the direction of the entry way, unraveling the whole way. Star showed him her pinky where the string was still attached. 

He couldn’t really argue with that. 

 

“Sparkle, Ten Shades of Off White, Play Along?” As DVD covers were shuffled, Hekapoo grew more and more desperate to find a movie that was actually worth watching. 

“Bad, Worst and well-” Angie thought about it, causing confusion in her guest. “Do you want to know a foolproof way to tell if you’re tired? Put that movie on. If you laugh then you’re not thinking straight.” 

Hekapoo laughed, not caring when she ended up letting out a snort.

“My boys. You could get them to watch a documentary about dentistry as long as there was some romance in it.” Angie held a plate between her thumb and index. With her other hand she lifted her cup of tea from the surface, bringing it to her lips.

Hekapoo shook her head, “Really no taste.”

“I can’t really complain about it. My husband is a pure romantic.” Mrs Diaz return the cup to the plate and placed it down on the table. “I mean he can go overboard sometimes but I can’t say that I don’t love how he pampers me.” 

“And Marco?” Hekapoo wondered. 

“Oh my little man. Hasn’t had much luck.” Angie didn’t sound to sad about it, more amused. “Though that’s partly because he’s so shy. Been hung up on his friend for so long, since Kindergarten. He was so happy when he finally asked her out the other day.”

She at the time had hoped that he would be blunt about it like any other boy would at the age of five. Like give her a daisy or something that kids find cute and they would hold hands for a week before they got tired of each other or she would call him gross and he’d be sad for a day. Either was expected and part of her was scared that holding off on asking the girl out for so long would backfire. She was happy it didn’t. 

“I bet he was.” Hekapoo stated. It wasn’t a question, she spoke as if she had met the boy. 

Angie’s eyes widened, “Oh, I didn’t really ask. You know Marco right?” 

“I’ve met him.” the mistress of scissors often a shallow statement. 

“I shouldn’t be surprised. He and Star are particularly attached at the hip.” The mother of the house patted her hip, trying to emphasize her point. 

“Right.” Were they? Hekapoo honestly didn’t pay much attention to the young heiress. She hadn’t even met her until the day that Marco left her dimension. 

“Are you all getting along?” 

There was a flash of a smirk that she had to wrangle down. “Ya, we get along just fine.”

“That’s good. Marco hasn’t always had the easily time making friends. He has a couple at school, though with them I’ve always felt that he was always sort of the third wheel.” There was a tea kettle between the two woman which Angie picked up. “Not to say that he was lonely. We usually take in others like Star.” 

Hekapoo offered her cup to her host and watched as the mistress of the house filled it up.  
“Exchange students. I don’t think there’s anyone else like Star. We had a lot of kids in this house, but none of them ours.” 

Angie then started to refill her own cup, “I think he was about to call it quits after last time. He just got tired of having to say goodbye. Like he was going to make a promise to himself that whoever walk in next he would just avoid.” 

She threw in a sugar cube.

“Than Star came in and well-” Angie paused and just smiled. “You don’t really ignore Star. That just causes property damage.” 

A second cube fell in and was stir in with a thin spoon, “So he just decided he wasn’t going to get attached only to get tangled up with a princess.” 

The plate was lifted and the host blew on the steam as it rose up from the tea, “Sorry, I’m just rambling.” 

“Hey don’t let me stop you from getting whatever that was off your chest.” Hekapoo learned before.

“I don’t even know why I started talking about all this.” The woman took a quick sip, “It’s not like I have all the time in the world to yap your ear off.”

Hekapoo waved away the argument, “Relax, it’s not even time for lunch.”

It wasn’t. Angie could confirmed from a clock hung up on the wall that it was only a little but after twelve. “You really want me to just go on and on about my son?”

“If you want to.” Hekapoo shrugged. 

“Really?” If anything Angie’s curiosity was flaring up, “How come?”

“Curiosity, that’s all.” Hekapoo brought her own cup, hiding her mouth “I don’t really have anything to do.”

“I think I can come up with some better topic.” The host offered. 

The guest deflected, “You don’t have to trouble yourself.” 

“We could watch another movie.” Mrs Diaz countered. 

“I’d think I rather talk about dryer lint.” Hekapoo blenched.

Angie elaborated, “One from my collection, not my husband’s.”

“That’s alright, you said you wanted to rant. You should rant.” The redhead spoke, sounding a bit more excited that she had meant to. 

Angie paused and fought off a smile of her own. She leaned forward and squinted at the chalk white girl, “You really want to hear about my son?”

“I said ‘if you wanted to’” The commissioner explained. 

“No I do, but do ‘you’ want to hear about him?” The woman of the household held her ground. 

“Do whatever.” A noncommittal reply. 

“I think I have a film you'd like.” Angie started to rise from her seat. 

She turned away from her quest and started to wander away from her. 

“Fine. I want to.” The demoness cried out, “I want to hear about Marco.” 

Diaz continued walking.

“I said ‘I-’”

Angie’s smile couldn’t been seen from where Hekapoo was sitting, but she still felt it. “I’ll be back in a moment. I have to find the photo albums.” 

 

“Star, where are we?” The cave walls became more dense as the followed the footsteps, until they fitted together like stone bricks. The trail turned from indentation in the dirt to muddy footprints. 

Star stared at the ceiling as the pair wandered along, “I don’t know”

“And why does it smell like someone’s shed?” 

There were some ‘things’ covered by drapes stacked tightly against the walls. The cover were tied down with rope. 

Marco hesitated for a moment before undoing the knots. The binds fell to the ground and the boy waited, seeing if anything would happen. Nothing did. 

He turned to his best friend and they shared a glance. Next the dape fell, “Cornmeal?”

Sack on top of sack, just laying there. The top bag leaked down the golden grain and Diaz extend his hand allowing it to pile up. “It’s warm?” 

“Marco look.” The drape was pulled up from the ground by the mewian princess. She twisted it around until the other side was facing her friend. Contrasting the purple cloth was silver lines. The whole thing looked like a child’s blanket. “I think this might be enchanted.” 

“You would know more then I would.” he agreed apathetically.

The magical girl folded the cloth into a square and flung it over her shoulder. It was tied like a cape around her. It looked heavy to Marco but it didn’t seem to bother the girl who kept over effortlessly even though the blanket fell past her feet like a robe. 

“Looking good.” Marco gave her a thumbs up and the blonde responded in with a giggle.

A crash was heard echoing in from the yet unexplored ends of the corridor. 

“Come on.” Star hushed her companion and grabbed his hand guiding him to sneak with her. The hall ended with a obviously man made doorway and as they approached, Star lowered her wand stopping the object’s magic from activating the lights. 

The two of them crouched down behind the opening, looking in for intruders. Against the walls there were shadows, the source of them were around the corner.

“Did you really have to drag me here?” One of the shadows spoke, “Drag me all the way to this hole?” 

The voice was female in pitch and wicked in tone.

“Sorry madam, but I’m afraid that there are no other facilities that I could use of and I afraid that anything I cook here would be ice cold by the time I could reach by the time I reached the bottom of the trail.” Another shadow piped in. This was was voice was polite but rough, “You did request of me a freshly cooked dish.” 

“I did.” the first shadow relented, “But that doesn’t mean you can take your time.”

Star squeezed Marco’s hand and then let go. When he looked at her, she signaled him to charge in after her. At least that what he assumed she was doing as when she was done with her mimicry, she stood up.

“Nothing but rubble and spiderwebs” as the shadow spoke, the two friends were moving in. 

“If it was up to me, renovations would be a foot, the location isn’t so bad.” The friends moved slowly at first but as the distance closed between them and their targets they started to move their feet quicker.

“Oh who am I kidding? I’ve always hated this place.” The end of the sentence was a signal. The two let out battle cries as they leaped in action. 

Star went low, the robe restricted her movements a bit but she was still about to charge forward with her shoulder. She was rewarded with some nice recoil when she did strike something. 

Macro complimented her royal heiress’ tactic by jumping above, stretching his footing into a kick. He was able to land on his feet when there turned out to be no target in his path. He spun on his heel, examining their opponents. 

The figure that Star struck down was some weird goblin dude. Well dress, if suits were your thing (which for Marco they weren’t), but still very lumpy looking. The lump cowered in front of the princess who stood above him, waiting for the thing’s next move. 

“What is the meaning of this?”

“Miss Heinous?” Marco didn’t let down his guard as he took a step back.

“Miss Heinous?” There was still a small bit of primal fear that the princess felt from that name, as she like many others once feared being sent to Saint Olga’s school. That plus the pure unluckiness of the headmistress and she could only stare at the woman standing in the dark. 

Miss Heinous stood before them, her nose up in the air and holding an scaly green arm the way one would hold a wine bottle. 

“Do I know you?” She grumbled.

“Yes madam” There was a loud voice. “There’s two are the ruffians who-”

She stopped in with a loud series of shushes all while one hand massaged her temples, “Quiet Gemini, can’t you see that I am trying to concentrate.” 

She glided over towards the hunchback as he started to work his way back to his feet. She pushed him back down and he flailed about like a turtle knocked onto it’s shell. “I think I might know where I have seen these two before.” 

The hag’s hands shot forward into her assistant's jacket and she started to dig around the inner skitching of the article of clothing. Eventually she pulled out an object which she presented to the two kids. 

It was a doll, brown skin, brown hair with a purple dress.

“A doll?” Star titled her head.

Miss Heinous looked at the toy and then towards Marco. She stepped to the side and once again compared the two, “Just as I expected. I didn’t think I’d find you here, Princess Marco, but I’m not complaining.” 

The woman squeezed and the doll’s head popped, falling to the side. She dropped the whole mess and stepped over it. Her servant reached towards the fallen toy but in his state, it took him a good while before he could muster the strength to flip himself over. 

“They sell Princess Marco dolls?” Star looked at her housemate, “I didn’t know they sold Princess Marco dolls.”

Diaz relaxed his arms an inch, “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” 

“Silence” The woman howled at them, “And stand still as I dissemble your precious organs from your skeleton.”

“How are you planning on doing that?” The woman looked like she would fold against a light wind. 

“And how exactly did you and your creepy butler get in here?”

“I simply felt a bit famished” She responded without actually having answered the question. 

They were in some kind of kitchen. There were tables with knives, bowls and other utensils scattered on top of them. Stone squares that Star would recognized but Marco could only guess was the magical equivalent to a electronic oven. Runes lit up on it side leading to a controlled fire on top. Pots and pans hung from the ceiling and what caught the earth boy’s eye was a series of conveyor belts that moved towards several holes that drop below into complete darkness. 

“Now these has been just lovely” There was a moment of false joy that gave way to a scowl, “But I really need to get on with destroying you.” 

“Gemini” she called. 

“Gemini” The man was down on his knees scooping the dolls between his palms. 

“Don’t make me have to say it again.” She looked down at him. 

He looked up at her, his mouth gaped as she brought up her wrist and snapped. 

There was a red spark that shot from her thumbs to the minion and the man became possessed. His arms gasping the air in front of him, begging for the teens’ throats.

“Oh please-” Star smirked. As the dual joined together as they prepared for battle, “What exactly can this guy do?” 

As the lump shoot forward, he didn’t so much as stop as he grabbed Marco and hurled him across the room. Marco bounced against the wall and the hunchback leaped after him, landing with a thump onto the teen’s back.

“Apparently a lot.” Star mumbled.

“Star” Diaz cried out as the trollish man scratched at his scalp. “Help.”

“I’m coming Marco.” Star clenched her wand with both arms as she held it up, parting her purple robe, “Butterfly Walrus Sparkle-”

There was a flash of light that covered the room and Star stopped her spell. 

“What are you doing” Miss Heinous shrieked, “You can’t cast something that big here. You’ll overload the crystals.” 

The light died down and from what Butterfly could see Marco was still losing the fight against the seemingly harmless man, who was now flinging him around by his ankles. 

Star stared at the crystal on the walls and then looked back at the battlers. Then back at the ground. 

She smirked, “Overloading it huh?” 

She held her wand back up and called out, “Marco close your eyes.” 

The light returned once again, brighter than ever. Filling the room for a moment with a pure silver glow. The hunchback yelped and released her friend into the air as he covered his eyes. Star made her move, she rushed forward and swung her favorite instrument of destruction right into the minion’s jaw.

He fell like a rag doll, doing a flip before falling into one of the many pits that was in the room for unknown purposes. 

The princess felt pride as she held out her arms and her best friend landed gently in them. “You’re alright?”

“Okay as I could be.” She allowed him to stand and the boy dusted himself off. “What was with that guy?”

Star chose to save the question for later. She turned to the former headmistress “And you. Danking around with girl’s heads wasn’t enough for you? Now you’re sneaking around my family’s camp? No one sneaks around here without permission but me.”

“Ya lady, what you’re doing is hella illegal. You’re going down.” Marco dunked one hand. 

“Really?” The hag raised one eyebrow. “And you’re so sure that you are not?”

“Being grounded for a week for trespassing won’t even compare with what my parents will do with you.” 

The old woman’s face broke into a twisted grin, “Not what I meant.” 

“What are you talking ab-” Marco yelled as something caught his foot. A claw wrapped around it l. They hadn’t seen the end to the henchmen’s wrath. He dug into the stone with his fingers, pulling himself up. 

The earth teen let his arm’s flutter around as he tried to resist the grip. 

“Marco!” Star shouted and she brought her boot down onto the claw that was dug into the rock. With that the only thing hoisting the disfigured man up was gone and he starting to fall bringing her companion along. 

Star flung her arm and linked herself with his. She bend down, trying to make use of her upper strength, “I got you.”

And with some strain he started to move back up in the kitchen’s surface.

“Whoopies.” A woman spoke behind Star. Miss Henious bumped the girl with her hip and the princess lost her balance. 

“How clumsy of me. I usually stride to teach better poise.” the woman said in a manner that even if the teens could hear they would not be fooled.

What they did hear as they fell down was the cackling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well I said I'd end this mini saga either this chapter or the next. Let's see if I can do so in the next.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to go dungeon crawling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Hekapoo doesn't appear in person in this chapter :(
> 
> I originally wanted to finish this "saga" in one chapter but it grew so long so I'm breaking it in half.

Star hurt. Like training with the kingdom’s guards hurt, going three rounds with a gang of monsters barefisted hurt, having to sit through math class hurt. That last one was probably an exaggeration considering how truly painful Earth’s education system could be.

Star did struggle after she did wake up to rise. Instead she clawed around herself, hoping to grip something to pull herself up. Only thing around was that sweet cape she picked up from the floor above and some more cloth attach to some heavy object.

A heavy object that groans. A heavy object that sounded a lot like someone she knew, “Marco?”

Her eyes pulled open but she couldn’t tell the different. Either way all she could see was black. She held up her wand and felt. She felt some a sliver of magic that surrounded her instrument and lit something.

There was a crystal, similar to the ones from before but this one instead was stuck in the ground like a light post. It gave her enough light to make out the boy. He was clean with no sign of blood on his face. He was okay, “Marco.”

The blonde princess shook him and in return he let in a deep breathed. He coughed and regulates his breathing, “Star?”

He cracked his eyes open and caught sight of a shy smile.

“Miss Henious.” he frowned and jumped to his feet. He adopted a stance. “Where’s that creep of her’s?”

Star met her back to his and the partners looked around but couldn’t make sight of their enemy around the perimeter that the crystal’s light provided for them.

“You’re stepping on him” a raspy whisper came out from underneath their own noses.

Kneejerk reflexes lead the Diaz boy’s foot to striking the goblin’s side. He went tumbling forward. The duo regrouped, readying themselves against any possible assault.

“Please I beg you, no more.” the man pleaded.

“Dude, I don’t know if you noticed but you just flung us down a hole.” Marco accused the man.

“I was only trying to follow my lady’s orders.” The man pushed off the ground but his arms were skinny. His overall strength betraying the actions of a man who was justing tossing Marco around, “You must understand that I would not have engage in such roughhousing under my own volition.”

Star relaxed her guard as the man’s arms gave out and he fell on the floor once again. She reached out to the minion slowly. There was a tug on her other arm.

She turned her head around. Marco was holding on to her hand. He shook his head, “Don’t”

There was an exchange if looks and the earthling groaned.

Marco threw her hand away and Star bent down to assist the one eyed man up, “I got you.”

“Thank you kindly miss.” It sounded like he really meant the gratitude. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

“Well try to remember that next time you slam me against a wall.” Marco crossed his arms.

If the hunchback heard the boy’s comment than he chose to ignore it, “Where are we dear?”

Star’s eyes wandered the area but even with the light that the crystal provided there was very little in the way of visibility, “I don’t know.”

She raised her wand and there was pink sparks which shot off from the wand, dying before they reached the ground. There lit another crystal, a light post like the last. Then another and another. Light travelled down the void. The crystals were erected in two lines parallel to each other, creating a path.

What could be seen were pillars and steps that started going up in front of them but nothing else. There was still much of the room still shrouded in darkness. It was more thanks to how massive the room must’ve been then how little light the crystals were admitting.

“There’re stairs this way.” Star gestured, “First step outta here is to go up.”

Marco held her back and he looked at Gemini, “You first.”

“Oh right. Thank you, how polite.” The man spoke cheerfully, despite the look in Marco’s eyes containing no politeness. At least not towards him specifically.

“Are you sure about this Star?” he staged whispered in the princess's’ ear. Panic stood as an obstacle of him trying to keep the lumpy man from hearing him, “That guy dragged us down here and then suddenly he’s all buddy buddy.”

“I might be taking a bit of a risk.” Star agreed, “but he’s a bit too sad to be a real bad guy. Flailing around like some little turtle man.”

“This guy’s dangerous, Star.”

“Come on Marco, we’ve made friends with sketchy people before.” Star reassured him.

“Like who, Lobster Claws?” It was a bit hard to bring up, but Marco has learned to be a bit less trusting over the year.

“No, like Bullfrog.” The princess countered leaving her friend without a rebuttal as she skipped after the newest member of their adventuring party. Diaz followed reluctantly behind her.

 

Their footsteps seem to track miles. They went up the stairs over to run into a hallway. At the end of the hallway was more stairs that led downwards. They went both left and right some passages. Marco had a sneaky suspicion that they they had passed through some of the halls a couple of times.

They only has the strategy of going up until they reach the surface but with the twist and turns there was no way to tell if that actually got them any closer to an exit. For all they knew they on whatever floor they began on, maybe even lower underground, “Star how long do you think this’ll take us?”

It wasn’t as if they had all day exactly. Though considering how free ranged his folks were they wouldn’t worry as long as he got home until dinner.

“Not too long.” She looked around. One hallway looking not too different than another. Star bit her lower lip, “I think.”

This was obviously going to take some time and there wasn’t much Marco could do but follow the his friend and their suspicious guest. He guessed that he could continue to keep an eye on the hunchback man, but for however long they had been trudging along it was enough that Marco was bored waiting for Gemini to show signs of betrayal.

At least there was artwork that lined the ways. Colored titles forming scenes of action and adventure. They were nice to look at. One that Marco liked was one particular piece featuring a bald headed woman in heart shaped armor fighting off a towering monster.

The monster looked like some sort of manticore. It had the lion head and sharp bat like wings that a manticore would have. The similarities ended there. Instead of lion like claws that a manticore would have, this monster had serpents head’s jetting out from it’s wrist. Five from each arm arranged in a way that you could imagine each one as fingers. Final weird detail that would definitely not be on a manticore was the long face that was grafted onto the monster’s chest. It looked human. Probably wouldn't look abnormal if it wasn’t replacing some manticore pecs.

Marco would say that the design was rad. He would take a picture of the wall if he wasn’t in such a dire situation or if he wasn’t missing his phone.

This was just not his day.

“So.” The princess of Mewni broke the silence that had grown among the group, “Gemini?”

“Yes m’am?” The man marched on, giving a little waddle as he moved. He showed no signs of exhaustion even though it must take him twice the effect to match their speed with his nubby little legs.

“Hows the…” whole going homeless thing going for you? Was that what she was going to ask? She couldn’t imagine how awkward that would be.

“How was…” brainwashing all those girls? Couldn’t really ask that either.

“What do you do for fun?” Star finished. She took a brief second to congratulate herself for thinking of a harmless question for the short man.

“Oh not much of anything these days.”

The answer was brief but Star was determined to bring life into the conversation, “Oh come on. There gotta be something you like to do.”

“I’m afraid that I’m too old to move about and do much of anything.” Star wanted to mention how he didn’t seem to have trouble with motion currently nor did he have much trouble going toe to toe with a much longer teen.

“Well If I do have the chance,” the man relented, “I do enjoy listening to a bit of music.”

“Oh what kind of music?” Star pressed on. She then shook her head and dug into her purse. “Nevermind nevermind. I’m gonna play something. Tell me what you think.”

_Space unicorn, soaring through the stars._

The music bounced echoed against the walls from the small electronic device in Star’s hand.

Gemini blinked, or maybe he blinked. Star couldn’t really tell because of the strange glowy eye piece that he wore. He paused either way and then gave a hearty laugh. “Oh what a delightful jingle.”

“Wait wait wait. Since when did you have my cell phone?” Diaz stepped between the two.

“Since this morning.” Star answered. He should’ve known considering this wasn’t exactly the first time she had borrowed the device. One day he really had to see if he could sign her up for something. Like a prepaid phone or whatever.

Marco slipped the cell from his best friend’s hands. “We should call someone.”

“I already tried that Marco.” He dialed in his home phone anyway and proved Stat correct, “I think it might be the crystal. Normally I can get a signal as long as it’s on the same plane as my wand but right now it’s getting nothing. ”

“When did you-?” When did she try out the reception? Marco was sure that he stuck by her the entire time

“When you went to the bathroom, couple halls back. My compact isn’t getting a signal neither.”

“Great.” He muttered, the sarcasm dripping from his mouth. That made sense. There wasn’t exactly time for a bathroom break earlier and if this place had facilities they haven’t found it yet. Meaning Marco had to skip over a hallway to answer the call of nature. “So we’re lost and we can’t call anyone. I almost wish we could blast our way out.”

“We can’t do that Marco. This place has been in my family for who knows how long.” Star backed up against the walls as if to defend them against Marco’s gaze, “Mom and dad would kill me if they found out I put a hole in our camp site.”

“Easy Star. I want to avoid unwarranted destruction as much as the next guy.” He assured his friend. “I’m just a bit worried about getting home by dinner.”

“Relax. We’ll get home before school is even out.”

Diaz could’ve argued that as far as they knew that school was already over. His phone wasn’t picking anything up and so it’s clock just stuck at 9, the time he had to guess that they entered the range of the dang crystal that kept them from escaping via scissors.

He guessed that Star was correct in a way because eventually they came to a door. Not a fancy looking door, just a stone one with a groove on one side. It had taken him a bit to realize that it was even a door, but when Star gripped the indent and it began to slide, he knew.

There hadn’t been any doors at all in the lower realms of the royal campsite. Just long hallways, dead ends and the occasional stairway. There was always a bit of water on the ground. Sometimes it was just a moist floor and other times it reached up to his ankles. Right now there was a door, just there out in the open. Being a door.

“Oh right. The cave.” His arms shot up in the air. What he could see was the dark top floor of the dungeon.The rough rocky interior suggested that they were soon out of the labyrinth and on their way home safe.

Of course they weren’t that lucky.

As he walked over to the door the ground shook. The door slide along the wall, dust shooting out from it’s frame. There wasn’t anytime to slide through and before anyone knew what was going on the doorway was sealed off.

The hallway broke apart. Tiles disconnected from tiles and soon the party found themselves being spun around. They felt weightless, like they were in an elevator going down.

“Is everyone alright?” Gemini’s words acted as a signal that whatever was happening to the dungeon had ended. When they looked around they found that the hallway had completely morphed from how it was seconds ago.

“Come on. Are we ever going to get out of here?” Marco didn’t know exactly when he had sat down, but his butt was on the cold floor with his back firmly against a wall. He was a little bit shaken but felt good enough to complain at least.

Star lent him her arm and pulled her friend up. “It’s okay, We just got to look around a bit more.”

  
Marco would’ve held more faith in that statement if Star hadn’t looked away from him. One arm crossed over and she rubbed her palm against her bicep.

He relented, letting out a deep sigh. Diaz looked around the newly generated halls, “Which way should we go?”

“Why don’t we ask Gemini?” Star looked behind Marco.

Diaz rolled his eyes, “Why would we ask Gemini? He probably knows as much about this place as we do.”

“Cause he’s sure acting like he knows which way to go.” She pointed at the hunchback who had long began to wander off. “Look at him go, waddling like a little penguin.”

Gemini moved along the hall, moving an impressive distance considering how short his legs were. There was a quick stroke of the chin as the servant found something of interest in the tiled walls of the maze. “Interesting”

He placed his claws onto the wall and pressed, “Very interesting.”

There was a spark of some sort which snapped between his fingers, but he didn’t retreat his appendage. He adjusted the thing on his face. Neither Marco nor Star knew what it was exactly. His monocle? His visor? Maybe it was actually his eye. Whatever it was he gave it a twist and just stared at the wall.

“What’s that?” Star peeked over the shoulder of the gremlin and got a glimpse at what was so intriguing. Gemini’s hand was spreading the tiles apart, revealing nothing but bright volts which seem to hold the very walls together.

“Security and I believe it’ll tell us exactly where we need to go.” Gemini answered before signalled towards a direction, “Please follow me madams.”

“I’m not a-” Marco stopped himself. As much as he liked the admiration of princesses everywhere, there were still some downsides to being universally known as Princess Marco. He’s just learned to accept some things about traveling dimensions at this point.

 

The second journey didn’t seem much different than the last attempt except this time around the old man would press against the walls every other time they turned the corner. It almost seemed as if he was communicating with the structure itself. Maybe he was. Marco and Star have both seen stranger things by this point. A sentient building weren’t top the list of peculiar events.

They didn’t really understand what exactly was going on, but it sure beat out covering their eyes and picking a direction at random, if only by a margin. Marco didn’t really trust Gemini. He couldn’t say why. He just had to hope that even if the man did have some diabolic trap waiting for the duo that he would wait until they were on the surface to trigger it. Until then Diaz just had to have faith.

It felt as if the walking took hours, but unlike before there seem to be a steady progress that wasn’t there before. Gemini would look at one path and shake his head before choosing another. Maybe he was eliminating the options some how. It didn’t matter, after every path was taken the hall glowed brighter.

“So what exactly is this mumbo jumbo that you’re doing with the walls?” Star hurried her pace. Her nose peeked over the henchmen. She watched as his claws traced against the wall.

Gemini didn’t slow down, but still offered a small explanation, “Oh just honing a couple tricks I’ve learned from my magic studies. I noticed that this dilemma we seem to be in the center of takes a couple cues from a few tomes I’ve stuck my nose through.”

“You study magic? I study magic.” Star peeked up. Her face broke out in a sly smile. She playfully jabbed the man with her elbow, “I thought you said you didn’t do anything for fun.”

“I wouldn’t really say that it’s for fun.” He didn’t sound amused, “Just part of my duties under Miss Henious.”

The lights weren't just the crystals anymore but the cracks between the tiles all seemed to start radiating a purple energy.

It was low at first, flickering on and off. The lights grew steady. Before they realized it the entire hall was covered in lines of purple which spread out like veins. These lines moved faster than they did, filling the cracks like overflowing water until the entire hall was bathed in the light.  
When all the could see were shades of purple the hallway broke apart.

They didn’t notice it at first. It happened behind them and below them. A tile shifted away from them into a green void. Then two tiles, them ten, a hundred, and a thousand. The floor broke apart, but despite nothing being able to be seen underneath them their feet seem hit something solid that allow them to tread forward.

“Star.” Marco was the first one to notice. He looked down and his legs felt weak, and his stomach felt heavy. He felt like he should be falling down below. He lunged forward and grabbed onto Star’s shoulder as if it would stop gravity from affecting him if it finally started to kick in.

Gemini wasn’t stopping so neither did she. The princess however did offer her companion a look and a shrug indicating that she was equally lost in this development.

The void was everywhere. The dimension around them was green, offset only by brighter shades clumped into balls. They were spread around and looked like the stars would in space.

The tiles ahead swam in formation. Following each other and working effortlessly to stay ahead of the trio. They congregated into a sphere shape, turning and dancing into various circles. They moved faster and faster and when they had reach their top speed Gemini had finally stopped his march.

The tiles collided, building into bricks until there were two solid slabs in front of the group. There was a hole side by side on each slab, large enough for a human hand. Gemini reached forward and grasped one of the grooves.

“Now I do believe that this right here might our way out.” He pulled and the slabbed moved away from it’s partner. Between the two stones light began to crack. “At least I sure hope it is.”

The servant smiled nervously. Marco felt a lump in his throat which he hesitantly swallowed. Star however grabbed the other slab and help pull the two apart. Between them a opening in space was reveal.

Right a head was nothing or at least not an exit.

It was a room full of crystals. That was it.

The floor was crystals. The wall was crystals. There was a large crystal in the center that really brought the decor together. Just kidding, it was all pretty redundant. Even the centerpiece was just surrounded by five crystal pillars in a circle.

“Where are we?” Star stepped into the room. The floor was uneven. The crystal floor was high in some points, low in others, causing the tarp she had wrapped around her to drag and almost trip her more than once.

“I do not know.” Gemini admitted. He walked towards one edge of the room. He placed his palm against the wall, “Madam, the crystal here is thin. I believe that if I can get through that we might be able to figure out exactly what this place is for.”

“I can handle this.” Marco studded over. In one swift moment he brought his hand to his chest and then nearly broke it against rock. He ended up hissing and thinking of a couple words that would be foreign to the two otherworlders but would cause anyone from earth to blush. It really hurt most in his pinkie, he went for the karate chop and it was not his smartest moment.  
The mewman walked to the boy’s side and gentle guided him aside, “Marco maybe I should handle this.”

He passively moved and allowed her the spot light. The princess tossed her wand and swung it in the general vicinity of the thin patch, “Hummingbird drills.”

Her companions flinched, but unlike the crystals in the halls, these did not seem to absorb the magical energy to create light. Instead they just stood there being crystals. Shocks flew off Stat’s wand and constructs appeared. You could call them hummingbirds, though Marco didn’t know any type of hummingbird that was bright pink with blue patch. He didn’t know any breed that had a steel drill instead of a beak neither.

The birds charged. They shot like bullets straight at the wall. They charged and accomplished absolutely nothing. If anything the little avians seem to just tire themselves out and bend their own bills. Eventually they stopped even trying, instead fluttering in place and exchanging looks amongst each other. Star eventually swatted her wand through them and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Star held her family’s artifact with both hands like one would hold a sword. Her back was straight and legs were far apart, braced for impact. “100% Rainbow Concentrate Beam.”

Seven lights shot from the face of the magical instrument. There were the seven colors of the rainbow. They collided in the dead center of the star, creating a white line from the wand to the crystal. Where the laser met the crystal started to dip down slowly, melting.

There were stone pillars that surrounded the main crystal but in turn the crystal seemed to also engulf the stone pillars to the point that Marco had to do a double take to even realise they were there. It was almost as if the mineral had grown around the obstacle like a plant would. He wondered what exactly this room looked like without the crystal covering everything.

“It’s even better than I first imagine.” Gemini smiled, “Do you see those runes? They might be the center of this labyrinth. If my memory serves me then they’re as good as an exit out.”

“Marco you hear that? One trip home coming right up.”

Marco couldn’t move his foot. It was snagged on something. Taking a peek at his heel, he noticed that it was ankle deep in crystal.

“Hey, what gives?” He shouted. He didn’t know if he was sinking or if the mineral was rising up, but it didn’t matter and he didn’t want to be stuck in it long enough to find out, “Star, I can’t move. My feet are stuck. The crystals.”

Confused, the girl peeked down. “The crystals?”

Her own limbs were just as planted into the gem, which seemed to move just to her shin without her even realizing it. She looked at Gemini. The man checked his feet and they seemed fine. He allow a sigh of relief out but found that he couldn’t move neither. At least not from the wall. His left hand which was pressed against the edge of the room was being imprisoned. The stone first covered his hand in a web like design and it was working to cover his arm entirely. “I think it might be imperative that we hurry up.”

Star didn’t even bother to show that she approves the action. She casted another spell and the beam grew stronger, double then triple it size before.

Her friend tried to pull his leg from the trap but he found that as he held his leg the crystal started to spread onto his fingers. He stood back up and scrapped the stone from the back of his fingers. Some of it peeled off like hot wax. The parts that he was able to get to quickly. The rest of it started to grow onto his hands, increasing the speed that it seem to devour him.

He yelled.

Star could see the faint glow from behind where she had been melting the gem. Writing that was mewman writing mixed with other languages. As the crystal met her stomach she began to panic. She reeled her wand back and the tool shifted into a large hammer. Using the strength gifted to her she began to strike at the runes with enough might that it shook the whole room.

She swung and swung until the crystal began to crack. The striking of the hammer made her ears ring. She didn’t know if that was the reason why she could no longer hear her friends screams or if he had been covered completely.

Gemini wasn’t in good shape. The stone had dropped down from his hand to both his feet. It covered most of his body leaving over his head, neck and left arm completely free.

The crystal started to cover Star’s shoulders, spreading up her neck and arms. When it covered her mouth, she kept on swinging. When it covered her nose, she kept swinging. It covered her eyes. She didn’t need to see where she was swinging.

Star gave one last hit before she stopped moving. The hammer receded back into the wand before it too was devoured by the jewels. The mace moved off from the wall and the small section broke off, crashing onto the ground.

Gemini was embedded in rock up to his forearm. With all the strength his frail body could provide, Gemini scratched the wall.

The teens were released from their tombs. The stones melted like wax. Star wanted to take a deep breathe in, but instead just went on a coughing fit. She could hear once again and knew that Marco was doing the same. Gemini’s hand hung from the opening now in the crystal and pulled himself up, slipping out of his melting prison. He pressed his fingers against the rune and swiped down.The crystal softened faster and before she knew it Star was completely free. She could even feel her toes wiggle in her boots.

“Sorry madam. If I had known that there had been such a diabolically contraption in this room-” Gemini huffed between his words.

“It’s okay,” Star didn’t care much for him blaming himself and instead wanted the man to focus on allowing himself to breathe. “It’s okay.”

“Hekapoo?”

“Marco?” Star spun around, looking for her best friend. His voice came from behind one of the crystal pillars. Which wasn’t really crystal any more. They met up with each other and Diaz pointed to the top. A stone statue rested there. A familiar woman with long hair and a flowing dress struck a fighting stance. She carried small blades in each hand as the sculpture mimicked charging against the large crystal in the middle.

“Madams I know I might have mentioned this before, but now I’m sure that these runes will allow us to escape. Just need a little time for all this muck to wash down and reveal the scripture.” Gemini slide his palms against the walls. He could just make out bits and pieces of the writing behind the thick gemstone.

The other pillars became visible as the gem evaporated, revealing other figures. Some which Marco have seen during his visit with the mother of his child and some that he didn’t recognize.

Star let out a puff of breath before grabbing onto Marco’s sleeve. She pointed at one piece. There stood the stone figure of a bald warrior. She was in a roman skirt with a heart shape chest piece. She wielded a sword. At least Marco assumed it was a sword. It had a hilt like one but the artist whoever they were depicted the blade as a lightning bolt, “Hey look it’s Grandma Solaris.”

“Grandma?” Marco squeaked, raising an eye brow.

“Not like my mom’s mom. She’s more like my great great grand mom times a million.” Star explained. “She’s really important to Mewni’s history. She was awesome. Like not just a great queen, but a kick ass general. Her reign was in a really dark time which she ended by killing a whole bunch of monsters.”

She turned to Marco and he was just giving a look. Like he want to say something.

The princess turned away from her friend. She grabbed onto her arm. “Sorry.”

“What?”

“I know that Mewni’s whole stance against monsters puts you a little on edge.”

Marco laughed, “No, It’s just strange to hear you talk about history. You sleep through the whole chinese section back in class.”

“That’s because I don’t know anything about Earth. This I grew up with.” Star crossed her arms and pouted.

“What is that?”

There in the center of the room stood a silhouette. All that was visible was a black mess in the center of the diluted crystal, but as the room melted more details could be made out. Whatever it was it was hairy. Or maybe it wasn’t. While they could make out large tufts of fur in some parts, in others they saw scales and leathery skin.

“Gemini do you know how to get out of here?” Marco shuddered.

“Almost” Gemini glided across the floor, following the symbols as they revealed themselves across the walls. “Just need a little bit more.”

The creature had been standing on it’s hind legs when it had been solidified. In fact it looked like it had been flexing its arms. It’s biceps, pecs and neck would almost look human if it wasn’t covered in thick green fur. It’s head looked like a lion’s, so did it's legs. Marco didn’t know what was stranger. Was it the large face on the monster’s gut which had a calm expression in comparison to the head on it’s shoulders, the bat like wings, large enough to wrap itself with or the long serpents that shot out from it’s wrist?

“Um Gemini.”

“Sorry. Just hold on a moment.” He zoomed to the end of the line. Watched as the crystal poured, revealing what was behind it, “It won’t be much longer now.”

“There is something in here.”

There were soon so many cracks that there was no hope that the structure would hold in place. It was far too late for the henchman to reverse the process.

The manticore moved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The other half of this giant chapter is actually almost done so expect another update real soon. 
> 
> Then I can get back to the meat of the fic: Hekapoo and that baby.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marco and Star just have a pretty bad day in general.

The crystal shattered and a roar surrounded them. Gemini’s attention was finally aligned with his companions. The shards flew off the creature and melted in the air, raining down and sliding off of everything. It flapped it's wings swaying the now completely liquid gem on the ground.

“I am free.” The manicore groaned and recoiled. It’s mouth gaped revealing it’s very large, clearly very sharp teeth. “Oh, my legs cramp. Legs cramp. I haven’t moved them in-”

He stopped for a moment, “However long they had me trapped down here. I can barely move my fingers. I can just feel the blood slowly pumping back in.”

The creature brought it’s heavy limbs up towards his face. Sagging down limp were the four snake like monsters attached to his forearms. It looked genuinely concerned for a moment, “You boyz alright?”

The things looked dead or maybe just exhausted. One of the serpents made efforts to move it’s eye and look directly at the head.

“Meh” it very effortless said.

“Very good. Very good.” He began to shake his wrist. The many heads started to dance, less like the cracking of a whip and more like limp noodles, “Dance for me. Dance for me.”

It eyes scanned the room and there were no time for the three to hide. It took a turn to stare at them each individually. It stepped forward, proving that moving upright was perfectly naturally for the monster. “Now you chums.”

“Marco.” Star cried. The boy tried to ready his defense but it was far too late for that. The serpents wrapped around his knees and he was flung up into the air.

“Star.” He was caught by the other of the manticore's ‘hands’, hanging upside down by his ankle. “Hey let go of me.”

“Thank you. You have no idea just how much this means to me. Let me tell you that going for so far without moving is just not healthy for you. I got a-” The manticore cranked it shoulder in a small circle. It hissed and stopped, “It feels like there’s a ball in the back of my neck. I just can’t like move it how I want without flinching. It’s really bad.”

Despite any debilitation that it claimed to have the manticore didn’t hesitate to scoop up both the princess and the minion before they could even react. “I got to repay you blokes somehow.”

Star couldn’t even hold onto her wand, the serpents swung her at a 180 degree angle and the artifact were spun onto the floor.

They felt the joys of blood rushing to their heads as they were dangled. Star had the bonus of having both long hair and a sheet tied around her. Both submitted to gravity, obscuring her vision, “That’s okay.”

“Nah, no. I’ll have you know that I repay my debts. Now what can I do for you?” The lion head looked absolutely insulted at the idea of not repaying them somehow, “Ah I know. I’ll make you guys part of me crew. You can all be my visions.”

The face on it’s torso shifted. It’s eyes shook and then opened. It looked upwards at both of the kids hanging, “I believe you mean viceroy.”

“Right. Thanks stomach. Ya, you can all be one of those 'vices' thing.” The lion looked down at it’s gut. At first he looked confuse but he appreciated the other face piping in. “Course we gotta conquer some hole first but we can figure out the when and the where later.”

He spoke about conquest with the same casualty one would throwing a party.

“No, really we’re kinda a bit tired with adventuring, right?” Marco said, a bit too enthusiastic.

Gemini agreed, “It seems in all good fun sir, but I’m afraid we’re have to decline.”

“Besides I’m already royalty. So that just seems a bit redundant.” Star smiled. Well probably, couldn’t really see her face with that blanket covering it.

“Oy really? What are you a duchess or somethin? Normally I find you types to be a bit unbearable but if you’re out here ‘ploring you can’t be bad. Bit of the adventuring type of myself.” The manticore smiled. He held her above his head, trying to get a peek of the royal from underneath the tarp. “So miss where you’re from? Always good to know the neighbors. A ruler gotta practice good daphnomancy.”

“Diplomacy.” His stomach corrected.

“That too.”

“Oh, you know. Just the princess a little old kingdom called Mewni.”

The manicore’s grin faded fast, “Well at least two of you can be my viceroys.”

“Mewni. Mewni. Mewni. That old slum is still around.” The way he held onto the party, if he had been shorter he might’ve been dragged them across the ground. He stopped, then stared daggers at the statue of the warrior queen before lifting up Star so hr could look at her eye to blanket, “And what are you suppose to be exactly? Solaria’s daughter? She should really take better care of her cub. Oh well. Her lost, my gain.”

“Wait a minute. Don’t you lay a hand on her.” Marco struggled. He couldn’t build up any momentum and only succeeded in slapping the manticore’s side.

“Sorry, this is kind of a personal thing.” The monster looked apologetic when he lifted up Diaz “Really appreciate you getting me out of a jam, but you have to have your priorities. You understand?”

“Bring me closer to your face and I’ll show you just how much I understand.” The kid thrashed, aiming for the beast’s nose. All the manticore had to do to dodge was hold Marco a bit further away.

“They did let us out.”

The lion head looked at it’s stomach and glared, “You can’t be real. It was her mom that shoved me in there in the first place.”

“Solaris isn’t my mom.” Piped Star.

“What is this now?” She was brought really close, enough so that if she could see beyond the clothe she’d be staring straight at his pearly whites.

“Moon is. Granny Sol has been dead for like centuries.”

The lion huffed, he puffed. He was definitely in the beginning stages of throw a fit. He kick the pillar of granny Solaris. “Dang it. Then why are you even here? She couldn’t even stick around til I got out?”

He leaned back against another of the stone pillars before swiping the forearm holding Marco and Gemimi through his mane. He stood back up, bringing Star back to his mug, “Let me tell you that’s what wrong with the Butterfly family. No consideration. What good is even having you here?”

“None.” Star sounded annoyed, “You can stop having your tantrum and let me and my friends go.”

“I'm not having a tantrum. You’re having a tantrum.” The lion hissed.

“Well I wouldn’t say that she’s worthless.” Attention returned to the monster’s gut. “Where there is a mewman princess-”

The torso’s face smirked up knowingly at it’s counterpart, “-there’s the magical high commission.”

The lion nodded, “You’re right. I have a few choice words for that lot.”

“And the perfect reason for them to come to you.”

The main head blinked before it’s face broke into a huge and sinister smile.

“Oh come on. I thought you were on my side.” Star groaned knowing exactly what type of terrible plot was being formulated in front of her.

“Yowch” The manticore jumped. Serpent flailed at it shook the arm that had been previously holding Star’s new friends. They ran behind the pillars. Which one’s he didn’t know, “Hold on for a second. You bit me? Who even does that?”

Below the statue of Hekapoo, of course it would be her, stood the escapees. Marco’s back was against the pillar with Gemini peeking over him towards the behemoth in the center.

“Thanks” Marco smiled at the hunchback’s quick thinking.

Gemini didn’t acknowledge the gratitude, instead focusing on the task at hand, “Quick madam. I believe that that acting now is in our best interest.”

“Ya I know. I just have no idea what to do.” Marco nodded, “Can you throw me like you did before?”

Gemini frowned, “I’m afraid not. Doing anything of such physical intense as that requires a great deal of magic. Which Madam Heinous usually provides.”

“Dang. Well we got to get Star down somehow. Stay here. I’m gonna show this guy what I’m made of.” The teen started to move out cover only for gemini to grasp his arm and move him back in.

“Wait madam. This seems awful dangerous.” Concern was evident in his voice.

“Well I can’t just sit here.” Marco shot back.

“I think there is something rattling around in my noggin,” The minion peeked around the corner before giving his chin a stroke. He pinched onto Marco’s signature hoodie. “Hand me your garment.”

“Well can’t really say that I love to see em go but they make it back to the surface and all your kin will know we’re right here. If only I could see ol Lekmet’s face when those stiffs know I’m free.” The monster leaned over to the pillar where the statue depicting a winged goat stood. The snakes of his now free hand wrapped around the sculpture, hissing and laughing.

“Hey kitty cat. Put the princess down and step away.” There the boy popped out into the open. He waved his arms, gaining the beast’s attention. He was the same as when he had last seen him sans for the red cloth he had on before.

“Hey no one calls me kitten but me girl,” The manticore turned. He then stopped and shrugged, “or me boy. Or whatever. Being cooped up for so long hasn’t really given me too many dating prospects.”

“I’ll call you whatever I like. You dumb stupid idiot.” Marco shouted, stepping forward.

“Now you’re just trying to be hurtful.” The manticore huffed, “And I’m not going to lie that it is working just a wee bit.”

“That doesn’t matter you pathetic weak” Marco stares upwards trying to remember any array of insults that he might have subconsciously picked up over his young life “Piece of garbage.”

“Okay now that’s just unnecessary. I mean a lot of people have been mean to me over the years but that just takes the cake.”

The manticore started unwrap itself from the stone pillar so that might approach Marco. That would've been a good idea maybe moments before. By the time he has started to move, Diaz’s distraction had already paid off. The monster didn’t even notice Gemini climbing up onto Lekmet’s leg.

“Have at thee.” With a bit more vigor than one would expect from an old man, the old lump pounced onto the lion’s back. In one hand he spun around Maco’s hoodie by it’s sleeve like a lasso.

“Do I look like a pony to you?” The giant snarled. His comment was awarded with the sweater being looped around his eyes. The hunchback held onto both sleeves, allowing him not only to hold onto the chimera but also blind him. Claws flew up as the beast tried to rid himself of the pest. He only grabbed air and his own fur as he kept missing the hunchback, “Where are you?”

Marco ran, full speed towards the monster. One would almost think that the kid was going for a tackle of some sort, but considering that he was smaller than the thing’s leg, he opted instead for sliding between his feet. When his momentum had ended, he rolled the rest of the way to a familiar object.

“To the left. The left.” The stomach exclaimed, trying to help the main head.

“Your left or mine?”

“I’m on your stomach. It’s the same left.” The torso gave the head a exasperated look.

“Hey you!” The manticore turned to Marco or at least the was sure he was turning to the boy. He still couldn’t see. If he had been able to remove the hoodie from his eyes he might’ve been able to see the earth boy holding Star’s wand, gripping it in a manner that he have seen his friend carry the object. "Wish I could think of something cool to say, but I honestly don’t know enough about you to say something ironic.”

“Like man, what is even your name?” Marco lowered his arms, before jerking the wand in the air, “And why isn’t this working?”

“Oh that one is easy. My name is-” The monster stopped his struggle like he had completely forgotten that he was in the middle of being assaulted.

Gemini helped remind him. He snuck his sharp nails into the beast arm. “It doesn’t matter!”

The minion started to lose his grip, sliding down scratching superficially to the lowered arm. He found himself tangled in the snake fingers which he hugged and smacked despite them each being as thick as his body. He bit and attacked them until Star had been shook loose from their grip.

The princess belly flopped onto the hard floor, rolling away from the threat. She stopped when her body collided with one of the stone pillars. Her arm shot up and she clawed at the rock. She stood, “Woah that was a tizzy.”

“Star, are you okay?” Marco ran to her side. Her head was spinning aching but once the dizziness had passed she was sure that she would be all right.

“Princess Marco. You must take the lady and go.” Gemini continued to ride the hydra like appendage. The servant was no longer on the monster’s back. It’s sight had returned without him there to keep the hoodie over his eyes.

“Wait Gemini.” Star reached out a hand to him but Marco had already grabbed her other.

He led her to the still opened entryway. “Come on.”

“Don’t spare a second worrying about me. Old men don’t live so long just to die in a place like this. I’d meet you back top side.” Gemini’s voice grew softer and softer until they could no longer hear him.

Marco looked backed, fearing the creature would follow them. Only thing they did see were the tiles once again. They were forming back behind them, coming together until the were back in the halls of the labyrinth. “Which way?”

He turned his head to the left than the right but without Gemini doing whatever it was that he had been doing before there was no clear direction. Marco paused.

An explosion set off behind them and suddenly there was a presence with the two. “Why you lot run off for?”

It didn’t matter exactly where they went as long as they made a choice quickly. Star made an executive decision and lead them to the right.

Cracks started to form on the walls and ceiling. Bricks were starting to fall. The monster had been too big for the halls of the maze, but instead of him being squeezed his body crashed against the stone which started to collapse. The manticore than flexed and it began to tear.

The duo zig left and zag right, but behind them they could digging, claws flowing through dig like water. As she turned another corner Star spun around, pushing Marcho ahead of her.

“Stringray Armageddon!” She cried and two of the named fish flew ahead. They stuck onto the monster and released a large beep before exploding. It only cause it to pause slightly. The princess sent fish, bird, and mammal at the juggernaut with the same result.

“Star he’s gaining on us.”

“Diamond slope.” Magic hit the floor and in front of them a ramp grew up like a plant. Star could only hope that the unrefined diamond could hold against the force of the charge. When the full weight of the manticore hit the slope. He deflected up in the air, right into the ceiling right above the duo.

Rock fell as the as the monster’s body broke away at the structuring of the labyrinth. The first few boulders were easy enough to dodge but as the entire ceiling came down there were no where they could maneuver.

“Watch out” Star made a choice. When the full weight of the floor above them dropped, the girl flew at her companion, shielding him from the impact.

“No!” She expected a lot of pain or maybe even some emptiness that indicted that she was unalived but what came instead was nothing. Absolutely nothing. Like she found that she was able to move a bit. She wiggled her fingers and she didn’t explode in agony. That was a good sign. “I’m okay.”

“Ya you are.” A voice wheezed underneath her. The whole room was suddenly dark but despite that she knew who it had been. “I on the other hand feel like you cracked a rib with that tackle. Mind getting off of me.”

“Ya totally.” There was a small part of her that wanted to sob with relief. This part was however easily overpowered by the larger part of her that felt embarrassed that she apparently knocked down her friend for completely no reason and was now pinning him flat against the wet ground. She waggled back but her heels wouldn’t move back. They were hitting something solid. “I can’t”

“Can’t what?” She could practically see him making some sort of face at her.

“Can’t get off. There’s like a weight on my back.” Star pushed on her elbows but that did very little to move right ever was pushing on her back.

“Must be debris.” Marco guessed.

“Wait a moment I’m gonna magic us something.” Star remembered the near infinite power she held in her hand. It normally was a treat to see what solution Star could cook up with mana, besides all those times that ended in disaster, but there wasn’t much to look at. Even the blue magic from the wand did little to illuminate the pile of stone that had just covered them. If there were any way to describe the spell it was a dozen tiny little hands digging through rock.

It seemed to take a bit more effort from Star than it normally would. The hole was only just but enough for the two to crawl out of. They were also afraid that the whole pile would become unstable and crush them. They didn't know why it didn’t initially. “How did he get out of that okay?”

“Don’t know.” Star dusted off her cloak, “Just lucky, I guess.”

They were still in the maze. Lucky them.

It didn’t look too different then it did before. Other than the freshly constructed dead end creates by all the rubble. Besides for some large stones it looked intact. From where they were they still could go straight and see where that would take them. “Where’s the big guy?”

“Maybe we lost them.” Marco hoped. He gave a bit of a shrug.

The two didn’t notice the giant hole in the ceiling created from where the monster had impacted, or maybe they did and just chose to ignore it. It was a bit too far up from them to climb. The scratching of stone brought their attention to it. Fangs gripped the stone and then tore. The fingered serpents of the manticore sucked onto the walls allowing the creature to climb down the walls.

It was only because of quick thinking and a bit of luck that the two could dash behind a stone before it could see them. Still it sniffed the air like a wild animal leaving the two wondering if they would remain hidden for much longer. It wasn’t looking at them exactly but it wasn’t moving away neither.

It was a silent agreement that the two were much better off trying to wait out the pursuit. Though it was taking a while. Everytime Marco peeked up he found that he had to dodge back down to avoid the monster’s gaze. “Is he just going to stick around forever?”

“I messed up.” She sat, hugging her knees to her chest. Marco could barely hear her. Her chin was buried into her leg.

Marco shook his head. He sat down next to her. His legs curled up to match hers. They could actually look a bit snug if it wasn’t for the circumstance. “I wouldn’t say that.”

“I should’ve never brought you here.”

“Star. There was no way you could’ve known this was going to happen.” This hadn’t been the first time the two of them bent the rules. They must’ve been through worst.

“It’s going to be okay. We just-” Wait here? Hope that thing didn’t find them? They had no control over that and it got close a few times already. “It’ll be fine.”

“I knew we weren’t supposed to be here but I brought us here anyway.” “What are we going to do?”

“I don’t know. We think of something.” His shoulder nudged against hers. “Right, Star?”

She didn’t reply. “Star?”

He kept on whispering her name, but she refused to budge. “Star?”

It was as if she had called it quits. It was just unlike her. She kept going after she broke her wand, after she lost her book, Glossaryck, and basically being told by a flying cat that she sucked at basic magic. Now she was stuck in a bottom of some pit with some unstoppable juggernaut. Marco couldn’t really blame her. This whole year was kicking her over and over again.

He could hear the monster just standing there. No telling if it was even looking at their position but it decided for whatever reason not to move away. It could find them and there wasn’t much they could do at that point.

Star seemed to have given up and he wasn’t as strong as her. “Star.”

He didn’t know what he was saying until he said it. “Star. I have a daughter.”

It was quiet but it rang through the air all the same. The words seemed to surround them and give him goosebumps. He was wet. Soaking after rolling around in his damp place for so long, but he still felt warm, unbearably so.

“What?” For a moment he didn’t think that even that news would remove her from her slump, but after a little time she said one word.

“Back when I was with Hekapoo. I was there for years and it just happened. I only just found out.” he didn’t know where to look. He tried to turn to her, but while her eyes were cast down before they were now on him. They were like spot lights. He could feel himself sweating.

“Marco, why are you telling me this now?”

“Because.” He didn’t know why. It just seemed appropriate, or maybe he felt like it should be out there in case anything happened. “I just wanted you to know more than anyone else.”

Maybe he thought that she wouldn’t say anything. Just go back to be silent. Maybe he thought she would completely forget where they were and yell at him for keeping this a secret.

What he didn’t expect was barely restraint giggling. “Star?”

She actually rocked a little, brushing against him in her fit. The teen coughed and calmed herself, letting a sigh escape.

“Marco.” Star stood on her knees. She looked at her friend who despite everything looked more composed than she had just been and melted into him. Her arms fell into place around him and she whispered into his ear, “I love you.”

Marco face grew red as his mind raced. He had many questions and concerns. Why she was telling him this now? Since when? They clouded his thoughts, preventing him from enjoying an embrace that was actually quite nice and warm.

“You’re my bestie.” Marco found that he could relax a little bit. Apparently this was less a declaration of love and more declaration of friendship. Though that didn’t do much to stop his heart from pounding because of the initial surprise. “Now let’s get you home.”

She stood up and dumped the tarp from around her. It fell down, raining down on Marco. He tangled with the heavy fabric. It ended up slung around his torso like a toga, “Star what are you doing?”

She walked from behind the boulder, “Star.”

“Hey, you big butt. I’m right over here.” The royal heir shouted and no amount of hushing that her friend started to do could stop the monster from turning to them.

He stood up completely straight. His shadow loomed over them. He had an ugly snare read just for them. “Now that was a bit rude mate. Someone comes along, offers you riches and you won't even let them make a hostage out of you?”

Marco tried to pull her back, but Star wouldn’t budge. She matched the beast in posture, meeting him gaze to gaze. She didn’t blink as he continued to taunt her. “All I was gonna do is murder a few blokes, maybe some of them friends and family, but only a few. Now you’re going to stay right where I see you. Stay right in my pocket til I’m about ready to start razing.”

“Ok.” was all she said.

“Ok?” It roared and spat. If their clothes weren't already wet then they would’ve been soaked “Ok?”

The manticore brought a serpent to his chin who rubbed the underside of his mawl. “Ok? I’m going to be honest I wasn’t exactly expecting that one. I was mostly talking a big game. Not about the murder and all that. Just figured you could keep me chasing ya for a bit while more. Thought I would have to start crashing this place down on you.”

He eyed the completely wrecked halls, “Well even more so.”

“Well you don’t cause I’m right here.” The girl rolled her eyes. She feeled ready to get over it.

“Right and I appreciate it, honest.” The monster seemed genuinely appreciative.

Star interrupted his good mood with four words, “Just do one thing.”

“Course there’s a catch with you royal blokes.” The manticore frowned.

“My friend. You have to let him out.” She demanded and Marco hearing this only pulled on her harder.

The monster look a look at Marco and smiled, "That’s it? Fraid you were gonna ask for something hard. Never really had my sights on the kid anyway. I’ll even give him a lift right out of here. Still love the whole ‘not being stuck in crystal’ trick you’d pulled on me.”

“Now come here.” For once the manticore didn’t move with the lightning quick motions he had to before. Instead he chose savored his victory and let his arm slowly float towards the girl.

This of course just allowed him to be intercepted.

“No.” Marco wrestled with the fingers. He stepped and strangled and punched the snakes as they struggled to get at his best friend. He flailed wildly forgetting every movement from his martial arts training.

“Marco.” Star gasped. She should’ve expected this. It wasn’t what she had wanted.

“Hey calm down. The lady has made her choice.” He looked apologetic, but it could’ve also had been pain. The kid was mashing up his fingers after all.

“Are you kidding me. I’m not going to just let you give yourself up.” He scolded his head. He couldn’t understand how Star out of anyone he had ever known could think that this was an option.

“I’m trying to do the right thing.” She explained.

“Trying and failing.” He countered.

“You need to get home. What about your daughter?”

“I wouldn’t be able to look her in the eye if I got you killed.”

“Marco, I’m the one who got us into this and I’m going to get you out.”

“Okay okay okay. Enough with the biting.” The manticore grew aggressive. His fingers started to coordinate. Instead of going after him in wild abandonment they started to tie around him one by one. They pinned his arms and legs, tangled him on the cloak that Star had been carrying before. They bundled him up like a cocoon.

The monster lifted his arms and cracked his wrist, letting the boy crash against the stone floor. “I am sick and tired of the biting.”

“Wait. I told you to stop. Let him go.” Star cried out.

“I’ll stop when he stops.” He lifted up the covered Marco.

“I’ll stop when I’m dead” Marco wheezed. He ignored whatever injuries he was suffering and still shouted loud enough to heard underneath the rag.

“You heard him. I’m being reasonable here.” The manticore spoke as if he really believed that. He punctuated his sentence by slamming Marco down once more. The teen shouted in agony but still struggled.

“No you're not. Let him go now or I’ll-” She didn't know what she was going to do. What she had done so far have proven ineffective, but she could fill a heat in her cheeks that just wouldn't go away. 

“Or you’ll do what?” 

The manticore noticed far too late that Star had been glowing. 

 

 

Miss Heinous was a patient woman. It was a skill that she had acquired and refined out of necessity over the years. It was as a skill that would always benefit her. Such as now. There was a chance that notorious Princess was dead meaning that her school was particularly solved of it’s delinquency problem.

Course there was still the issue of understaffing. Gemini was now likely dead and he was the last of her puppets. She would have to go through so much trouble for another batch of servants needed to monitor on the girls under her discipline. It was difficult. The reconstruction of bodies, the binding spells, the subtle behavioral influencing. All of these were took ages.

Thankfully Rasticore was loyal with no strings attached. Once he was back she’ll have all the muscle she needed to retake the school. He was all it would take for that much. After that recruiting and hiring would be simple. She just had to wait.

She’ll be out of her car. She had grow a bit tired of the vehicle. Maybe she once held the thing dear but since she spent so long exiled in it she believe that when she returned to her rightful place that the car would have to be replaced. Not that she wouldn’t be sad to see it go. She did have such lovely memories with her big growing lizard.

For example she held the arm in her arms, cradling the reptiles arm like a baby. Her cheek snuggling against it as they watched the night sky.

Too bad the ground started shaking ruining the entire mood. Cause she had to gain a peek at the commotion. A glance at whatever it was that dared to interrupt her precious time with her Rasticore. She had plenty of spare time to make whoever they were paid and a grand imagination to make full use of that time.

Of course she looked straight ahead and saw nothing. Which was confusing the crashing sounded like it should be very close to the couple but in front of her was nothing. Maybe they were behind a tree. Maybe the one that was currently crashing down onto the ground, completely uprooted.

Nope, no one behind there. Nor was it the tree behind that, nor tor the tree behind that. She could also rule out most of the forest in front of her for a couple miles. They all came crashing down after all. The ground underneath them just popped up, spilling dirt away from some event happening far away.

As Heinous looked up she had gotten a clue of what might’ve been causing this mass deforestation. Yards away was a pillar of light so bright that everything looked nearly pitch black next to it.

It last for a good moment before the ray slowly thinned and died off, leaving only the destruction it caused as evidence that the event that happened at all.

Well she better see what that was all about.

 

 

Star was pretty sure that she just coughed up a pebble. That didn’t matter she had someone to look for. “Marco?”

Beyond her messy hair which draped over her face was dirt. Dirt and rubble. The walls that once surrounded were were gone. She could see in the distance the forest, or at least the remains of the forest. Above she could see the clear skies. Everything was a wreck. “Oh no no no.”

“Star?” There was a groan. A thin layer of dirt lifted up, revealing a still tangled Marco. Tugged in the tarp like a pig in a blanket. With a little bit of struggle he was able to pop his arms out.

It was just in time. He had been able to meet a hug. “You’re okay.”

“Ya. In fact did I sleep through whatever happened here?” They broke apart and Diaz was able to see exactly where they were. “What happened to that big guy and the rest of the maze?”

“I don’t know.” No matter how much she wished to recall she couldn’t. She just remember her friend’s fight. Him being hurled against stone again and again and than nothing. “I think I might’ve slept through it too.”

“Let’s just go home. It’s almost time for dinner.” Marco unfolded the cloak from his legs.

Star thought that was one of the best ideas she heard in a long time. “Ya I’m over do for some grub.”

“So am I.” A rock shook and the two flinched. Star brought wand still in her hands. Marco balled his fist.

The debris fell over, revealing a familiar one eyed face. “Madams, you wouldn’t happen to have any biscuits or the like at your residency would you?”

“Oh Gemini.” Star perked up. She felt happier to see the hunchback then she thought she would.

Marco couldn’t stop himself from shouting. He was just as glad, “You’re alive.”

“Alive?” Gemini gave a hearty laugh. “Like that overgrown pelt could sink claw or tooth into me. I’ve survive through tougher and sharper.”

He stood with as much bravo as his old body could muster. “Now about food?”

“We see if mom can set aside another plate.” Marco smiled.

The butler punched the air. “Wonderful. Now Marcia if you would lead the way.”

“Um Gemini, it’s Marco.” The teen blinked, point at himself. “Princess Marco.”

The minion readjusted his eyepiece. For a moment he looked embarrassed. “Oh sorry about that princess, slip of the tongue. I happens time to time as you get older.”

“Come on. Let’s just get out of here.” Star swung her arms around the two.

“Think the scissors might work now?” Marco asked.

“I’d be surprise if any of the defenses are still up and running after whatever happened here.” Star reached into her bag. “Now come on. I want to know everything about the baby when we get back.”

“Everything?” Marco raised his brow.

“Of course. I need to.” Star picked out her scissors, snipping them mindlessly. “How else am I going to be the best auntie there is?”

Marco just smiled. That just seemed exactly like something Star would say. 

“Well isn’t this an unpleasant surprise. You survived.” It seemed the umpteenth time that day that any merriment had been swiftly killed.  
Standing across from them was the headmaster of Saint O’s. “But not before destroying the place. How typical of you juveniles.”

“Miss Henious.” It was easy to see how relax Gemini had been before because now he had tensed up so tightly that not even oil would loosen his joints.

“Gemini. I should’ve known. Still felt something leeching off me.” She called to him. “Come. It is almost dark and I need my rest.”

The man nodded. He steppes forward but a hand caught his sleeve. He turned around and his gaze met the Star’s soft face. “Wait Gemini. She nearly got you killed.”

“I am quite aware.” He grumbled. He looked only mildly annoyed at such a severe offense.

“Why are you even working for someone like her?” Marco agreed with Star. He moved beside them.

“Gemini. Come on.” She stepped away, not for a second believing that the man would deny her.  
“Yes.” Gemini coughed.

“No.” Star stepped between them. “I don’t know what’s going on here, but you can’t treat someone like this.”

“I can not?” She laughed. It was dry and appropriate for a lady of her statute. When it died down she revealed a scowl which she aimed right at the teens. “I don’t believe that you should be the judge of how I treat my property.”

“He’s not some slave, lady.” Marco too stood in front of Gemini. He didn't care how tired he was. He wasn’t going to allow Heinous to just do what she wanted.

“Oh I honestly can’t see why you are even bothering trying to fight me on this.” The hag hissed. “Not for Gemini of all the insignificant things.”

“He’s not insignificant.” Star burst over the woman’s words. She subconsciously tried to make herself seem bigger.

“Allow me save your breathe and explain it in the simplistic terms. He belongs to me.” The woman explained like it was the most obvious of concepts. “Whatever desires you think, or even he thinks he has, plays no part.”

Star couldn't believe the woman’s words. She reasoned with her new friend, “Gemini. You don’t have to follow Henious if you don’t want to.”

“M’am I absolutely wish that was the truth.” The man couldn’t look her in the eye. All he could do was sigh deeply. The tip of his shoes must’ve been fascinating because he started at them.

“Gemini.” Star cried out but he couldn’t get the servant’s attention. She pulled at his sleeve and that was just as effective. The heir glared at the hag. “Let him go.”

“Let him go?” The mistress seemed amused at the idea. She relented. “Well if you insist.”

There was a thud. Before Star could even comprehend what Heinous had said, Gemini had crashed to the ground like a lead weight.

“What?” She didn’t understand.

“It actually relieving. Not having him under my control. It feels like I can concentrate a bit more.”

Star waved her wand at the witch. She didn’t what spell she had at the tip of tongue but it would be devastating if the woman didn’t reverse what she has just done. “What did you do to him?”

“Just flexing the rights of my contract.” There was a wicked smile. “Showing you exactly why this is meaningless. He can’t move without my say so. He can’t live without the same conditions.”

“Hold on. I can help. I can-” Star moved to the prone body. She spoke to the man as if he could hear her. She looked at Marco as if he knew something they could do. “There must be someone who.”

“Course I still have some use for him.” Heinous snapped her fingers and the lump moved from underneath the girl.

He coughed as if he hadn’t been breathing the entire time. Star didn’t know if that was true or not. “Gemini. Are you okay?”

“He will be. As long as he plays his role. Now if you are all out of questions. I would like to say goodbye. It has been a long day and a lady must have her rest.” The woman feigned a yawn.

“I’d normally try to exterminate you” She looked down at the princess’s lost expression, “but I feel like this is a victory. A small one.”

She turned away from the teens. “Now Gemini. Won’t you bring me everything I might need for the night?”

“Yes.” The butler lifted himself to his feet.

The crone raised an eyebrow. “Yes?”

“Yes madam.” Gemini followed after her.

The duo didn't give chase, but the boy did shout after them. “You’re sick.”

If looks could kill, Heinous would’ve turned to dust on the spot. “You’re not going to get away with this.”

“Star.” He had hoped that Star would join in his heckling. Instead she stilled laid on her knees on the spot where Gemini had just been.

She covered her face. “Let’s just go home.”

 

 

“Are you sure you can’t stay for dinner?” She had enough food. A tupperware container in her arms with more than enough for herself and her brothers. Still Angie thought that it would be nice to have the redhead over for the meal, especially since she helped so much.

Hekapoo smiled softly but shook her head anyway. “Nah I have to get out of here. My brothers tend to start burning things down if they’re left alone for too long.”

“If they’re starting any bonfires, they’re not doing it without me.” The girl let out a laugh at her little joke and the Diaz mother giggled along.The demon blinked. “And actually you haven’t mentioned to anyone that I was the one helping out right?”

Angie blinked and paused. She looked up, trying to recollect, “Not by name, no.”

“Good.” Her face was purposely neutral as she nodded.

Angie breathed in and let out a deep sigh. She looked at the sky as if giving a prayer. “It’s really a shame that my big man already has a girlfriend.”

“No it’s not. I’m happy for him.” Hekapoo assured her. She even flashes her a little smile as she shook her head.

“Could you hold on for a second?” Angie stepped forward. Maybe Hekapoo had shook a little too violently because next thing she knew Mrs Diaz’s arms were around her.

It could’ve almost had been called a tackle with how sudden it was. Even though it was gentle and there was enough room between the two to allow Hekapoo to comfortably hold the container of food in her arms, the abrupt nature of the hug still almost caused her to drop the lid.

“Sorry. Enough kids have been through this house. My mom senses was telling me that you were overdo for a hug.”

“It’s fine. Just don’t go spreading it around. I have a reputation to uphold.” While unnecessary, she couldn’t say that it had been unwanted. Despite herself Hekapoo could feel her cheeks grow hot. She wasn’t too embarrassed by it if the smile on her face was any indication. She cleared her throat. “So ‘Mom sense’, Does everyone have that?”

“I believe so. It’s a bit different for everyone, but if they want it, it’s there.” Angie wondered what the girl’s mother might’ve been like. “Though it’s a skill that can take a while to build up. I’ve had a lot of practice.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks.” Hekapoo nodded. She didn’t look upset at the answer so Angie assumed that she had said the correct thing. “For everything.”

“It was no trouble.” It was true and she silently wished that the young girl would return once again.

The demoness turned around and walked away. A red ring appeared in front of her, growing until one of the points kissed the ground. Hekapoo didn’t rest before strutting into the portal, but once she was on the other side she allowed a deep breath to escape. “No. It was.”

A portal closed.

A portal opened.

Out stepped her children. Star wasn’t really her daughter, but as long as the princess was staying with them she could pretend. They looked dead on their feet to the point that she honestly wouldn’t be surprise if one of them started to doze off right on the front lawn. She beamed at them, giving them a small wave. “Hi Star. Hi Marco. You two are just in time for dinner. In fact you even beat your father home. He’s been out all day on a commission.”

“Hey Mrs Diaz.” Star leaned against the wall right beside the door. Her cheek smushed against the plaster.

Marco leaned against her, crushing the blonde alien a bit. “Mom, if it’s alright with you. I think I’d like to pass out now.”

“Oh, you must be exhausted, but you can pass out later. Now it’s dinner.” She opened the door, expecting her children to follow. They did or at least tried to. They were practically crawling inside. “Come on I tried a new recipe. You have to tell me exactly how much you love it.”

She would write down every word if it didn’t look suspicious. The mother wanted to relay every word that she could to the girl who was pining over her son.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to be honest. I went into this whole saga with one idea in mind. I want Marco to confess his secret to Star while under duress. Something that would push him to do so as some sort of last act. So I had to make a threat big enough to push them. Then set up that threat so that it didn't look like it was coming out of no where. Then I had to think of a reason for Star and Marco to even be facing that threat. Then I had Heinous and Gemini as the exciting event that push them into that threat so I thought "hey those are interesting characters. What can I do with them?" Long story short: I wanted to make Star's part of the story special and this is the result. Now I can move on with the story for now. 
> 
> As for the plot threads introduced here, I'm saving those for later.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final opponents.

“Hey Star. Are you in there.” Marco poked her locker door. He allowed the tapping of fingernails on locker to break the blonde out of whatever trance she was in.

Pages flinched between her fingers. Her smile only seem to grow larger as she went through the large tome she was holding. Marco without using his arms, pushed off against the lockers and moved behind her. He hoped to get a glimpse at whatever she has been reading. Instead he got a noseful of the back of Star’s skull.

The girl gasped. She twirled and presented her discovery to her friend. Bright pages in purple and yellow. 50% off. Sale. Buy one get one free. “Marco they have tiny little caterpillar jammies at Quest Mart. You should totally buy some. They would so cute on-”

Marco clasped his hand tight over her mouth. His attention darted around the room. No one had been paying them any mind. In fact his suspicious behavior probably raised a few more eyebrows than Star’s usually hyperactivity. Star still lowered her voice to compensate the kid, “the you know what.”

“Star I’m one hundred percent sure that Hekapoo has already bought Minnie whatever she needs.” Marco hoped before doubling back. “Ninety percent sure. Now can we talk about something else. I’m already a bit nervous.”

“Oh hi Jackie.” Before he could even try to stop her, Star was already on the tip of her toes, waving furiously. Another blonde stood down the hallway along side their friend Janna.

What Star got in turn was the classic “deer in the headlights” look, followed by something that might’ve been a wave. It looked like it was a last ditch effort of a greeting as she ran the opposite way and jumped round a corner.

Her beanie wearing partner in crime just shook her head as the skateboarder retreated. Janna gave Marco an apologetic look and Marco hoped that she knew he felt just as sorry.

“Well that was weird.” The dimensional traveler questioned Jackie’s abrupt behavior.

Marco worries didn’t stop Star from sticking her nose into that catalog. The fact that it was such a secret might’ve made it even more exciting to her.

“Man you’re that excited for the kid?” Janna stuck her own nose over the blonde’s shoulder. The good thing about being at the back of Miss Skullnick’s math class was that it gave the two girls plenty of time to chat.

“Of course.” Star fake whispered. Which meant that the big eared troll who ran the class heard her but not loud enough that the teacher bothered to actually call her out on it.

It took a moment for the blonde to realize who exactly she was talking to, “I mean, kid?”

She bite her lip. She wasn’t sure if that sounded the least bit convincing. Janna just rolled her eyes. The meaning wasn’t lost on Star. “I mean, you know?”

The filipina nodded, offering up a tiny smirk. Star deflated, sliding down the chair. She was a bit relieved that this tiny incident wasn’t her exposing her friend’s secret.

“So I hope that whole adventure you guys had yesterday did something for you.” Janna stuck around with the duo as the period ended.

“Ya nothing like the thrill of nearly dying to give you a whole new perception to life.” Marco shot sharply. He blinked and reexamined his tone. “I have no idea why that sounded sarcastic. I’m honestly am a bit more relaxed.”

“Cool.” Janna almost looked like she wanted to cheer. To be honest this whole ‘making people feel good’ thing was pretty new to her. “Though I did tell you that you didn’t have to let Star in. Didn’t want you walking straight into a teenage drama moment.”

“Actually Star took it well.” He gave a blank look at his friend who still had her nose right in the spine of the interdimensional shopping guide. “Almost too well.”

Eyes twitched as she heard her name, “How can you not be excited?” Her smile was bright at first but gave way for suspicion. She examined Janna from the tip of her hat to the bottom of her nose, “Hey when exactly did you find out? You wanted to keep this away from me?”

The princess gasped in sudden realization, “Does Jackie know? Is that why she was avoiding us?”

She searched around but the freckled blonde was absolutely nowhere to be seen. Marco hesitated but confirmed her guess.

Star looked down and just sighed, before stalking over to the boy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him to her chest. “Marco, I’m so sorry.”

“Star.” he almost wanted to laugh. In fact he actually did. “You didn’t do anything.”

It was a tough struggle but Marco was eventually able to get out of her grasp. He ducked under one of her arms and stood back up straight. She smiled at him, “Still, she meant a lot to you.”

“She still does. Though it’s over now.”

“Hey Diaz. If it makes you feel any better while she was avoiding you today, Thomas doesn’t exactly hold grudges.” Janna cut in and what she was saying was true. It was a trait that she thought was actually less than ideal in her crush, “Besides she actually cut out early today, so it’s not like she’s actively skipping out on you at the moment.”

“Thanks Jan.” Marco didn’t believe her but for once he really appreciated the girl. The group started to move down the hall.

“So tomorrow’s the day right?” Janna said, “Going to practice your custody rights.”

“Ya, in fact. I was going to go over Hekapoo’s today after class.” Marco admitted, it was the first time he really said the plan out loud.

“Wait, when were you going to tell us?” Star sped in front and stooped in front of Diaz, “Can I come?”

“Why would you want to do that?”

“Babies.” Star answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Than again base on how she was acting it probably was.

Marco rolled his eyes and gently moved her aside, “I think it might be good with maybe mom and dad met Hekapoo. Better they have an idea of what’s going on.”

“Were you just going to dump a toddler on them before?” Janna wondered. Like hey mom and dad. Going out to the park. By the way this baby I'm carrying is your grandchild, bye.

“No, I was going to tell them either way. It’s just. It’s not like Hekapoo lives down the street or something.” This wasn’t your everyday type of drama.

 

It was a dark day in Hekapoo’s personal dimension. Nothing bad particularly happened, that was literal. A literal dark day. The whole plane had a weak sun that the dimensional traveling witch put only a tiny bit of effort into forging. It wasn’t as if she needed a bright enough star to support a spectrum of life. The world was only really meant for her and recently for her, her baby and a dragon cycle.

It was a still pretty small but a few things had been rearrange in order to accommodate the new additions to her family. A couple of new rooms, a few new baby safe accessories and of course an brand new kitchen with an actually stove and everything.

She had to make sure that her daughter actually ate and the old one wasn’t really cutting it. First couple of days on the bottle she had to use her own magic to heat up baby formula. It was a pretty tedious and she didn’t wait long to refurbish her shack.

It was different from what she was use too. She spent hundreds of years living on her own and she had a lot of habits to beat because of it, but she couldn’t say that it felt bad. In fact it was nice; comfortable. She could even go as far as to say that things were cozy between herself, her daughter and her pet.

That was three lives that the house supported. Four was pushing it.

Seven, and she was a second away from kicking people out of her house. She was speaking literally boot to ass.

“So hey Hekapoo,” Her baby daddy sat on one side of her kitchen table. He kept taking peeks to his left, “Who exactly is this guy?

“That’s just Rhombulus.” The crystal headed dude didn’t even flinch at the mention of his name. He was enjoying some mush that Hekapoo was expecting all of them to eat. Really going to town on it. Like he had the bowl all the way to his face and he was making loud eating sounds. How was he eating the junk by the way? He had no mouth.

It didn’t matter, Marco took one sniff of the goo before sliding his own bowl over to the man with snake hands. If the man felt appreciative at the additional meal, he didn’t spare the time to show it. He just brought it straight to his mug, replacing his previous bowl.

“He’s another high commissioner. You guys met at the department.” Hekapoo explained. “Rhombulus say hi”

Her tone was just harsh to move the guy away from his grub. The food was still stuck to his face. He swung his torso over to the teen offered a ‘hand’ to, “Hey, what’s going on?”

Marco had a bad experience with snake recently paused at the gestured. Well he paused because of that and also because he had no idea how he was suppose to shake it. Diaz clamped his hand down, four fingers under the snake’s jaw and his thumb over it’s snout. He kind of jostled the appendage up and down until the motion resembled a handshake.

“Man Star, you’re really that bummed out?” Even though the princess was her friend, Janna didn’t spend a lot time outside her home turf. She almost wished that she didn’t tag along. The whole room was a little bit awkward. Well that was a lie. It was only weird between the two parents. The crystal guy was busy munching and Star wasn’t reading the room at all. She was just having a pout. “Not like you’re aren’t going to see the kid tomorrow. I’m pretty sure you’ll be begging for it to go down for a nap than.”

“So why is he here?” Marco pointed at Rhombulus.

“Because you have really bad timing.” Hekapoo dipped her spoon in her bowl, but when she tried to extract it the slime caught the utensil and refused to let it go no matter how hard she pulled. She sighed, “It’s not like it’ll hurt for Minnie to be around her godfather.”

“Oh you’re using my nickname.” Marco could almost swoon. It was tiny, probably insignificant but he felt that he already provided something for his daughter. That was until he registered the exact words his baby mom said, “Wait, godfather? This guy is her guardian?”

Hekapoo shrugged. She didn’t really feel the need to justify her decision “So what brings you here, ‘dad’?”

“Hekapoo.” He gave a false start. It was a bit harder to ask than he thought it would be. This was a bit of a step he was planning on taking, “Hekapoo, I think you should see my mom and dad.”

“Huh.” Hekapoo blinked. She made another tug at her spoon before bluntly saying “Pass.”

The teen frowned. “What? How come?”

“Sorry earth boy, but I’m not sure that’s the greatest idea. The two of us kind of skipped the stage where we meet each other’s parents.” Hekapoo stated, “Besides I’m trying to keep things from getting harder for you.”

“Too late.” A voice piped in.

The two parents’ gaze shifted across the table. Both curious about the new opinion. Janna’s feet was plopped up on the table. She met Hekapoo’s glance with a glare, “Things getting hard for Diaz. If that was your goal than you blew it.”

It got suddenly warmer. Marco could guess that it was because the flame on top of daughter’s mother’s head flared for a split second. Hekapoo huffed. “That’s exactly why I’m not following him back to Earth.”

“Don’t give me that.” Janna frowned, but she kept her body still. “You already went this far. Just do him an actual favor. Bite the bullet.”

“Hey Jan. It’s okay.” Marco didn’t know where his childhood bully was going with this, but he felt like he didn’t want to know.

Janna’s feet swung off. When she heard Marco, she sat up in her seat on reflex, “Dude no. She screwed you over once and now she’s doing it again.”

Marco didn’t back down, “Janna she didn’t do anything.”

“Except for drop a huge load on you. Seriously it isn’t like you can choose not to be a dad after all this.” Janna thought about that for a second, “Some people could. Not you Marco. Not someone like you.”

“It’s not like she did it on her own. I had to be there too.” He couldn’t even joke about not having enjoyed it neither.

“Marco. For once could you make things easier for yourself. I like to believe your folks will be cool with this, but I know that mine would be at my throat if I told them I was pregnant.” Janna leaned forward. Her fingers were down on the table. She was almost clawing at the wood. “You losing Jackie: that’s not the worst that can come out of this.”

“Jackie?” Hekapoo wondered if that was a name she should know.

“Guy’s girlfriend.” Janna explained. She left out her own relationship with the girl.

“Ex girlfriend” Marco felt that was much more accurate.

“Wait hold up.” Hekapoo lifted her palm in the universal sign for stop. “‘Losing her?’”

“She didn’t take the news well.” he explained.

Janna quickly corrected him, “No she took it about as well as anyone could.”

Marco nodded. He couldn’t argue with that statement.

“Who exactly thought that she had to be let on this. In fact, why are you even here?” Hekapoo twisted her torso towards Marco, “Have you been just blabbing to everyone?”

“Wait, you wanted him to just keep a baby secret?” Janna rasied an eyebrow.

“Yes” Hekapoo said through her teeth. She stopped and forced her expression to soften, “At least I didn’t want him spreading it around, scaring away any girl that might show interest in him.”

“Why?” All eyes turned to Star. The girl shook out of her slump while no one was the wiser. While everyone else looked a little bit tense, she didn’t seem at all bothered by it. “I mean, Why would it matter if he scared girls away. Aren’t you guys going to get married either way?”

Her friends look at her like she grew a second head. That made her nervous. She practiced enough spellcraft that was a possibility. She rubbed her neck to make sure. No, nothing there, except for a tiny bit of sweat.

They were still staring.

“No.” The silence was broken by the host. Her shout was so sudden and loud that it cause everyone not named Rhombulus to jump. “No.”

She actually started laughing, or started making a noise that sounded like laughter. It was a little bit hard for it to seem genuine when she almost sounded angry. “There is absolutely no way.”

“Ow.” Marco didn’t mean to sound so hurt.

The mother of his child for a moment couldn’t look at him. She didn’t like that look he had on his face, “Don’t take it like that. I don’t mean you and me. I mean me and anyone. I.”

“But what about the baby.” Star hadn’t expected that response. She started choosing her words carefully. A rare moment for the blonde. “That means you had her but aren’t together.”

“Ya basically. What happened to that whole rebel princess shtick you had going? Afraid that my daughter is unpure?” Heckapoo questioned, “I know that’s important for the royal bloodline, but for the rest of us it can get a bit complicated.”

She sighed and glance at the sky. Scanning the rooming, she settled her sights on the one who started this, “He’s on the market. Interested?”

Janna didn’t waste energy humoring the idea, “Please, the closest I’ve ever got to being attracted to Diaz he was wearing a purple gown.”

“How do you even know about that?” Marco cut in. He did that once and the only person who knew about it was himself, Star and Ponyhead.

Janna just smiled. “I know everything about you Marco.”

He jabbed a finger at her direction. Marco drew his hand back and jabbed again. “See there. That’s exactly why everyone thought you had a crush on me.”

“How about you princess?” Hekapoo motioned her chin over to Butterfly.

Star didn’t reply. She didn’t show any indication that she had even heard the question. She had been staring at the redhead, but she just had a normal blank.

“Star?” Marco almost stepped out of his seat.

“Huh?” Star snapped out of whatever that was. She looked a little bit embarrassed being caught apparently daydreaming. She gave a nervous laugh, “Sorry. Just thinking about something I said before.”

Her friend didn’t even notice her strange behavior. He pleaded to the demoness. “H-poo, please.”

“You know I hate that name.” She said that but she deflated a bit in her seat. She crossed her arms but they weren’t tight. She had trouble resisting.

“Come see my parents. They’ll want to meet you. Even if we aren’t together.” Marco lingered on that detail. It was like the words tasted strange in his mouth. He couldn’t focus on it for long. Not at the moment. “You and me. We’re family. That means you’re their family too.”

“What a sweet talker. Am I right?” Marco had no idea how Janna could have a smirk so big without it turning into an actual smile.

“Janna.” He felt like he and his baby mama was having such a nice moment. Of course here was hurricane Ordonia to blow that all away.

“I can’t say he’s not. Spent a few decades seeing just how sappy he can be.” The face on Hekapoo matched his delinquent friend.

“Hekapoo.”

“Fine” She wanted to laugh but she swallowed it. Both her palms pushed against the table, forcing herself up. “Hey rock for brains.”

Rhombulus once again looked up. His mess was now a complete mess but he looked almost ready to eat his bowl. Hekapoo gave him his orders. “I’m going out. Guard all my stuff. That includes my bundle of joy.”

The commissioner didn’t hesitate to pump his arm. A small cheer escaped.

Hekapoo walked away from the table. The father of her child stood to meet her. There was the biggest smile on his face “Really? You coming?”

“Ya well I couldn’t think of a reason not to.” He hugged her. Of course he did and she barely had it in her to pretend that she didn’t enjoy it. She didn’t let it last long. She pulled away in a beat. “At least not a reason that I feel like telling you.”

 

Janna didn’t join them. Her reasoning was that she had enough drama for the day. Maybe she had enough for the entire month. Hanging out with Marco was proving exhausting. Besides she could visit him and Star anytime she wanted. They wouldn’t even have to know. He didn’t like that last reason, but he had long accepted that fact as true. So after Janna was dropped off in a place of her choosing the mother, the father and his friend who had gotten strangely quiet all returned to Earth.

“Hey mom. Are you home?” Marco cried from his living room. Hekapoo fell onto the couch, resting one leg over the other. He was weary. As if just the act of speaking to her would hint to his plight.

“Oh hi sweetie. I’m in the kitchen.” A voice sang from the kitchen. His mother’s hand was trace the laminated pages of a binder. “Now I was thinking marble counters for the kitchen. Could you get your father. He always had a better eye for these things.”

“Star is already bringing him down.” Marco told her. At least he thought she was. While he was searching downstairs, she had gone up so that they could cover the entire house.

“Tell him I’ll meet him right on the couch. I’ll have a catalog or two.” His mother dismissed his statement. As if it was coincidence that Star was already bringing her husband down. Marco’s father was so casual as he stride down the steps. It was an obvious contrast to how carefully Star was choosing her steps. He would have to talk to her later. See what was bothering her.

“Hola son.” The smile was like a beacon. His dad greeted him like they hadn’t seen each other earlier that morning. That was nothing new. That was just a thing his dad did.

Marco greeted back, “Dad.”

“And who is your friend?” He was just as suspicious of Marco’s wrong doing as his wife was. That was to say ‘not at all’. His hand swayed in the air like a dog’s wagging tail. Even Hekapoo couldn’t resist smiling back. To not smile would be against the natural order. She did only give a weak wave back.

“Oh hi Hekapoo.” Angie joined them. She took a second to greet her seemingly young guest.

Hekapoo returned the favor like an old friend. “Hey Angie.”

“Do you know each other?” Marco pondered but quickly shook the question out. There was a time and place for everything. He could ask questions later. “Nevermind that’s not really important right now. Just-”

Marco slipped between his parents. He urged them close to him and lead them to the coach.He displaced Hekapoo, but she moved voluntarily. “Could the two of you just sit down for a moment. Right there. Down on the sofa. You're gonna need the support.”

“Sure.” His father sat back comfortably. He soon lean over to his wife. He didn’t bother to whisper. “What’s is all this about?”

The mother did a bit better, but they could still be heard by everyone. Her voice just oozed excitement. “Must be something big. They’re putting a bit of effort into surprising us.”

“I do love surprises.” Mr Diaz perked up. He turned his head over to the exchange student. “What is it Star?”

“Oh” Star bit her lip, “It’s not me. Marco just wanted to tell you guys something.”

Her smile was awkward. It seemed that whatever was pushed her to see the joy behind the occasion died when put against the heads of the house. She peeked at her best friend. Maybe she could take the lead. “Though I could-”

Marco shook his head and Star’s voice died down. His mother laughed. “Just give Marco a little time.”

His father urged him. “Go ahead son.”

“I can’t wait.” As much as she wanted to pretend to be suffering her smile gave her away. She was brimming with anticipation.

Tears began to pour.

“Marco.” He didn’t even realize it until his mother called his name. Any positive emotion immediately left his parent as they saw their son start to tremble in front of them.

“I just. I just wanted to.” He couldn’t finish his sentence. The more he spoke the more something got caught on his throat. He wanted to breathe but his nostril were suddenly full. His parents started to stand. He tried to tell them to stay back. To sit down, but they only started to move on him more.

“Oh, sweetie. What’s wrong.” His mother spoke. There was a gentle palm on his arm. It started to guide him.

His dad was in front of him. The father patted the a couch cushion. “Marco come on. Why don’t you have a seat?”

“No, I got to tell you. I’m.”

“Marco please.” His mom looked blurry to him but he could tell from her voice what the look on her face was. “You’re scaring me.”

She took him to his father.

“You don’t have to force yourself so much.” Raphael received his son, led him down so that he could lay on the couch. “This sounds important. Take a rest. Whatever is going on will still be there after.”

“Maybe I should do this.” Hekapoo stood over all of them. Marco was prone and his parents were almost kneeing trying to persuade him to stay put. She guessed that made her look a little intimidating to them. They even seemed nervous at her intrusion.

“No.” The boy’s chest shot up. It was eased back down before he could sit up.

He could hear his mother gasp. “Marco.”

“Relax. I’m a commissioner. It’s not like I haven’t been the bearer of bad news before.” She wanted to believe that she was poking fun at herself, but he already knew how she felt about this.

“This isn’t bad.” He said while his tear ducts haven’t even settled.

He wasn’t fooling her. “It’s alright. I knew I basically screwed you over.”

“I’m sorry, but what is going on?” Mrs Diaz wanted to give her full attention to their guest. If she could tell her what had gotten into her son she wanted to know. On the other hand, it seemed almost like she had to force her son to relax. Why he was upset didn’t seem to be as important as making sure he was okay.

Her husband made the choice. He tried to ask sweetly, but a glob of sweat on his brow betrayed how nervous he was inside. “Please could you tell us what’s wrong with Marco?”

“I’m Hekapoo. I.” She looked away for a moment. She had trouble thinking of the exact words. “-work for the Butterfly royal family.”

“That’s true. She has served my family for generations.” Star stood beside the commissioner. She tried to smile brightly. ‘Tried’ being the keyword. There was a smile, but it didn’t seem real. It was her eyes. They were all over the place.

“I’m a bit older than I look, right” The red head answered the question that would no doubt be raised and she did so with a chuckle. A weak one, but it was still a chuckle. She looked down at Marco. “So is he.”

The Diaz exchanged looks. Neither one of them understood what was being told to them. This was strange, even to them. “He spent a lot of time with me. Sixteen years.”

That wasn’t important to them. It just sounded ridiculous. Not because it sounded unbelievable. Unbelievable wasn’t in their vocabulary. It just sounded irrelevant. Their son still looked fourteen just like he had since his last birthday. He hadn’t gone missing and they have seen him everyday for the last year. To them he never went missing and if he had, why would it put him on edge like this?

“We spent a lot of time together-” She swallowed. The demoness took a look at the son, the father and finally the mother. “and you’re grandparents.”

“Surprise.” Star splayed her hands next to her family servant. Her voice almost sounded hoarse. It was a desperate attempt to undercut the seriousness of the situation. It didn’t work to break the complete stunned silence that overtook everyone else.

Angie Diaz kneed by her son. The hand that was clinging against him as a show of support balled. She looked at the girl that she had chatted with yesterday, the woman that she spoke to yesterday, and narrowed her eyes. “Get out.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes life can be hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I started backing my stuff up over at ff.net. Too many times I find my fingers an inch from accidently pressing the delete button when I read over my stories on my phone. 
> 
> One review overthere said the last chapter was a bit melodramatic. I already finished this chapter by the time I got that review but that's something I should look at.

It might’ve not been enough to cow the immortal but Star sure as hell flinched. She wasn’t even the target but just being in the blast radius of that look on Angie Diaz’s face made her want to shrink into herself and apologize. Marco was quick to forget how emotionally weak he was feeling. He tried to get up, shouted “wait,” but he felt dizzy. His dad didn’t need to use any force as he urged the teen to lean his head back down.

“Wait Mrs Diaz.” Star slipped in between the two women. Her arms were stretched down, pushing back the air as if she was expecting the woman of the house to tackle forward. “I know that this all can be a bit too much but you have to trust me.”

“Star go to your room.” The matron stared her down. Star found her foot shift just an inch. She had to focus to stop her toes from betraying her. It wasn’t as if Angie Diaz was actually her mother, but she was the next thing to it.

“You don’t understand.” Star instead allowed her battle instincts to take over. When Mrs Diaz moved to her left, the mewman leaned over to let her body act as a barrier between the two mothers. Angie then stepped to to her right and Star leaned to the other side. “Hekapoo is a commissioner. She’s practically nobility.”

Behind her the guest could only grow annoyed. Hekapoo tried to keep a neutral expression but she found Star’s assistance to be unwanted and frankly unhelpful. She hissed, “Princess, stop trying to build me up here.”

“And how old is she?” The girl hadn’t expected a question, let alone that question. The mother looked intent on simply staring down the commissioner instead of a full on confrontation.

“That’s-” Star hesitated, “I’m not one hundred percent a history expert.” This was true of course. While she felt she a lot of respect for her family history, her troubles with her studies started way before she arrived on the earth plane.

‘I don’t know’ wasn’t a good answer, Star knew that much.

The madam asked Star. At least the girl thought she was asking her. Miss Diaz started to eye her granddaughter’s mother. “How old is she exactly?”

“I’m not giving an exact number.” Hekapoo piped up. She saw that Star could only helplessly look at her. The young mewni heir wanted her to cut in. She had other plans. “She already has reason enough to be ticked off.”

Sometimes the lack of an answer told you all you need to know. It seemed to work for Angie, “Stay away from my son.”

The woman nearly snapped around Star. While the princess did intercept her once more, she nearly had to make a grab for the mother. Something told her that if she actually did touch her that it would not end well. “Wait. You don’t understand. Marco was older.”

“I don’t know who you are, but I never want to see you back here again.” Star didn’t know how Angie could sound so angry while keeping her voice so calm and steady.

“I’m only here because he wanted me to part of his life. I wish he'd forget the whole thing.” Hekapoo didn’t back down. In fact she looked like she fully expected the deadlock between them. “I’m going to drop off my daughter tomorrow if he still wants her.”

“Hekapoo.” Rafael did have to struggle to keep Marco down that time. When Hekapoo started to walk away his son started to rise nearly knocking the father back. Mister Diaz didn’t think he could stop him if he really began to thrash.

“No. No. No. You can’t leave.” Star shouted behind her. She walked beside her, but Hekapoo just wasn’t listening to her plea. “By order of the royal family I-”

Hekapoo flicked her wrist, a practice motion. It was hard to tell if it was magic or sleight of hand, but the commissioner snapped her fingers and a single scissor blade appeared in her hand. She stabbed the air, creating red sparks.

“Hekapoo stop.” Marco finally moved his father, but by that point the porter than finally opened.

“Wait.” Finally the demoness paused. A hand stretched out. It was surprising to everyone that the hand belonged to Marco’s father. “Please just give us a bit.”

“Angie, can we see each other in the kitchen?” He wasn’t asking. Not really. Rafael hoped that if he grabbed his wife’s hand that she would follow.

“No.” She didn’t. She had yanked her hand back violently. She actually manages to pull him forward. It almost caused him to lose balance. He had to try again and this time he wrapped around her wrist. “Rafael. No.”

“Rafael.” Slipped out again. It felt rough, like both their nails scratched the other’s skin as she clawed out of his grip. Of course he tried again with similar results and he realized that what he was doing now, wasn’t working. He had to move on to more despite measures. Rafael bent down, crossed his arms around his wife’s waist and stood. Her eyes shot open wide as she kicked. Her feet felt strange as they both left the ground. “What are you doing?”

She tried to squeeze herself from her husband’s grasp. Her fingernails dug into his arms and when her foot swung back and her heel hit his torso, she felt guilty but she didn’t show it. She would have time to apologize later. She wanted the girl out of here. With her own dignity attached. That’s why she didn’t consider biting.

Her husband walked easily enough over to the far corner of the kitchen, a little bit out of everyone else’s sight. He did a even better job landing her gently down on the tip of her toes. She stomped the rest of the way down, nearly tipping herself. Angie now stood only in front of her husband and she seemed ready to explode at anyone.

Rafael had his arms in front of him, not just because he had just let her down but also a sign of caution. Maybe to take it easy on himself or to hold her punches against their guest “Angie. We have a granddaughter.”

“We don’t know that.” What she really wanted to do was completely reject the idea. To reject the idea that she had a granddaughter from that woman, but her husband seemed so utter convince that she felt horrible for even questioning the legitimacy of the claim. “And even if that’s true. We’re have her tomorrow. We could just keep her. We don't need to ever see her again.”

Rafael didn’t want to believe what she was implying. He shook his head. “You don’t mean that. You’re upset.”

“And you aren’t?” She was already keeping her voice down. She refused to have everyone in the living room hear her while her husband was speaking so quietly. That didn’t she tamed her movement. She nearly lunged at the much larger man.

She didn’t touch him of course, but he still seem to recoil. It was as if his legs were giving out. He had to hold onto the corner top for support. “No I feel weak inside, but you’re so angry. I can’t. I just can’t”

“She came yesterday.” Angie gasped as if she couldn’t believe her own words. Or maybe she couldn’t believe any of this. “I thought she was fourteen. I thought she just had a crush. She was here the day before, and she told me she was Star’s friend and now I find out- She’s older than me.”

“She touched my son. She’s older than I am and she took advantage of him. She-” She felt something in the back of her throat. It was sharp, if you could describe tastes that way. “Was over here. Hiding that that from us. All while she was.”

It burned and brought tears to her eyes but she swallowed it anyway. “She had a baby with my baby.”

“Angie.” His words didn’t sound convincing, not even to himself. He said them anyway. “She said that Marco had been old enough when it happened.”

“Old enough? Have you seen him?” It should have been obvious. She believed so. “He’s still wears his ninja shirt to bed. He avoids stepping on cracks on the sidewalk because he worries about me. He gets embarrassed just holding his girlfriend’s hand. She wants us to believe that he’s was old enough to have a baby?”

She focused her attention to the ground. It was like the tile floors made it easier for her think. How do we even know that’s true. Also she found that it was a bit difficult for her to look at Rafael. Angie started to pace. “How do we know that she isn’t lying to us? To him? She could’ve made him think he was old enough. We don’t know what’s out there.”

The mother stopped. Her back not completely revealed to the father but she was turn enough away from him that he couldn’t see her expression, but when he heard her voice crack he could guess which one she wore. “We don’t know anything.”

She peaked at her husband and must’ve regretted it because she snapped back. She let out a sigh. No it sounded heavier than a sigh. Like her breath was dragging something along with it. Suddenly she steeled herself before forcing her body to crank around. She wanted to look the other parent in the eye. “Rafael. Are we bad parents?”

“Angie no.” Rafael didn’t know if he was giving a definite answer to her question or if he was simply reacting to Angie as she seem to nearly lose balance. It looked like she wanted to fall on her knees. He caught her in an embrace, holding her to his chest. He cried into her ears. “No no no. There was nothing we could do.”

Her voice was muffled by his chest. It was until he swept her hair back that she swung her head to the side and repeated herself. “We could’ve asked.”

 

The teen said thank you as she exited the building. It wasn’t to anyone in particular. Maybe it was to everybody. She had been there enough that she felt that you could point at any person who worked there and she could tell you their name and an interesting story about them. She was confidence of that. She threw her board down and rode the ramp that they had at the exit. There were only about three steps on the stairs but she still preferred the ramp. It was a bit more fun. Of course it was a slope made for wheelchairs so it wasn’t steep at all. She came to a soft stop when she reached the bottom.

She was about to kick off when she heard something close by. A thump. “You know Jan. You could’ve came in. Would be a little less awkward than standing out here.”

Her friend was throwing a ball against one wall while leaning against the other.

“Thomas. I thrive in awkward.” Janna caught the blue rubber sphere in her mitts before tossing it away once more. “Besides I’m not the biggest fan of this joint. It’s boring and depressing.”

“Maybe they could leave a cadaver out. Nothing really brings people together like a nice carrion.” It didn’t matter that the togetherness was a product or fear and awkwardness. Of course Jackie was joking when she said this. Most certainly.

Janna liked what she was hearing. She caught her ball once more, before standing straight. The sphere disappeared as her hands went into her pockets. “Thomas are you reading my mind?”

“Almost all the time.” Thomas stuck the tips of two fingers on her temples. A motion that she’ve seen in comics and shows that indicates the gift of telepathy.

“Rad.”

The wheels on Jackie’s skateboard made a rocking noise as rolled it back and forth.

“Hey Jan. You didn’t get dropped off by your mom right?” Jackie stepped on her board. She was a tiny bit more forward than she usually was. Someone who didn’t board normally wouldn’t have notice but Janna knew what it meant. Her hand was even reaching behind her, clenching the air gently.

Instead of accepting the invitation, Janna admitted “No Jackie. Got a lift from the ex.”

“You haven’t dated anyone before.” Jackie stated as a fact. She didn’t look even surprised by her friend’s statement, like she had expected it. That didn’t mean she couldn’t hope.

Janna shook her head. “Not my ex.”

The skateboarder hesitated. She didn’t know what to say other than “How is he?”

“He’s good. Taking the whole thing well. Which is good or bad depending on how you look at it.” Janna looked away from. Most would probably be happy that Diaz wasn’t in the middle of a complete breakdown, maybe proud. Jan wasn’t so sure. She looked back over to Jackie “That doesn’t mean he’s not upset over whatever it is that’s going on between you and him.”

“He’s just focusing on what he needs to. I get it.” She seemed please enough at the news, or at least Jackie didn’t look miserable at how quickly Marco was preparing to be a dad.

“Jeez Thomas. Stop being so selfless.” Janna scoffed. “It spreads. Next thing you know, you’re gonna have me donating to like charity or something.”

“Janna I think it’s a bit too late for that. I already know you donate to charity.” She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It substituted it was a laugh.

“Lies.”

“One day the world will know just how much of an optimist you are, even though you try to hide it.” She smiled for a beat before dropping it completely. Finger nails of one hand traced against the palm another. Jackie Lynn looked almost nervous when she said “And Jan. I am being a tiny bit selfish. In a messed up sort of way.”

“Hit me up. You know that the darkest corners of the human psyche is my playground.” It was supposed to sound casual. Maybe Janna had played up any excitement that was there.

“Maybe I’m just living vicariously.” Jackie admitted.

Her friend blinked. “What?”

“Man, I don’t even know Jan.” The blonde dismissed her own thought. “Whole thing is jank “

“Ya.” It was hard not to agree. Ordonia looked around. “You know I was a little bit worry when you decided to bail. Now I see you here and it’s like, multiply that feeling by a hundred.”

“You don’t have to worry about that.” Jackie waved it off.

She looked genuinely relieved. “I don’t? Cool.”

Jackie stretched out her words. “Just don’t be surprise if you don’t see me again tomorrow.”

“Oh. Ok.” Janna looked a bit less relieved, but she held her tongue.

Jackie didn’t notice. At least she didn’t seem to notice. She just turned around on her skateboard and reached her hand out once more. “Come here.”

Janna ignores something, something that was in her gut telling her to press further. Instead she hooked her fingers with Jackie’s and didn't resist when she was pulled on top of the board. She held onto Thomas’s waist for support and they two started their trip home.

A loud beep punctured the air. An alarm. A black specter was in one hand. An monitor on it’s side. A red dot flashed, once then twice. A cloak figure brought their nose down the same time they brought the radar up. The target moved further and further away.

Cloth shook as the person breathed. They hung their head back and pinched the edge of their hood. A green iris took a peek at the building in front of them.

Echo Creek Specialty Hospital.

The mantle dropped back down. The specter lowered.

Well better check that out.

 

She was beautiful with hair like her’s. She didn't’ want to admit it but her fingers traced subconsciously through her our mane as soon as she laid eyes on it. Maybe it was just a maternal thing but there was something there. Not a trait like a hair and eyes but a feeling. It was like the baby had her spirit. Like the baby had the same thrill of adventure she did, as if it passed from her to her son to his daughter.

She didn’t know if that sounded ridiculous or not. This was only a picture, maybe she was reading into the whole thing too much. She just wanted to think that maybe there could be a positive spin to all this. There would be another child in the house. Not all the time but they would be there.

They had always wanted a daughter or a second son. Whatever the healthy bundle of joy would have been. It didn’t really matter. As long as they were.

It was always a bit strange that such a couple still very much in love wouldn’t have another child. They had tried all the time. It could be said that they were still trying now. Not actively, just a small spark of hope in the back of their minds that they left unspoken. The idea that if they were surprised with a newborn that it would be so grand.

Another child never came. Marco was a miracle and even when he had come out it was such a panic. He had been premature. They had been trying for months prior to discovering that she was pregnant. After all that when he was born he couldn’t breathe. There had been a fear, a heavy fog in the air that there that they would lose the baby. All because her body couldn’t had waited for a few more months.

It made her wonder if she really was meant to be a mom.

After all it wasn’t as if this was her son’s fault.

Her son had always been so careful despite who his parents were. She had encouraged him to be free. Gave him plenty of time to do whatever it was he chose to do and somehow he ended up a boy who didn’t take any chances.

He had good grades. Great even. It was as if he was planning on a scholarship from age ten. He was the son that any mother could hope they’re son to be. So how?

It had to be her.

“Mrs Diaz.”

The door to Marco’s room creek open. She was awoken from her thoughts. She was at her son’s desk, looking at a picture of her granddaughter.

Her granddaughter.

She had to get use to thinking that.

“Star.” She tried to act normal or at least sound it. It was a bit hard when her surrogate daughter just saw a harsher side of her then she would’ve liked. “Is everything done downstairs?”

“Ya.” Star stated, not wasting extra words.

Angie sat up a bit straighter, like her spine had grown.

Star thumbed the edge of the door. Her fingers tapped rhythmically. She bit her lower lip before asking, “Are you still mad?”.

“Oh no Star.” She started. However she found her eyes wandering. She couldn’t finish what she knew she should say. Finally she admitted, “I am far beyond that.”

Honestly she sounded more burned out than wrathful.

“You sound a bit like my mom.” Star couldn’t help but find something amusing in all this.

Angie could imagine what the rebel princess did that cause her poor mother the same type of stress that she felt right then. She snorted. Probably a ton of things. The girl was a handful. That’s what Mrs Diaz loved about her, “Tiny secret. Most mother’s freak out time to time. I think it might be what we’re supposed to do.”

“Wow, that doesn’t sound fun.” Star frown. Her sympathetics obvious.

“No. No it’s not" Angie nodded. “Star. Can I talk to you for a little bit?”

The door clicked. There wasn’t another chair but Star wouldn’t complain about sitting on the bed. Angie had to stand and swing the chair around so that the two could look at each other eye to eye.

“Mrs Diaz. I didn’t.” Didn’t what? Angie didn’t really feel like letting Star finished that thought.

“Star, I’m not going to yell at you. In fact I think I might’ve got a bit hot headed.” The fingers sans her thumb on her left hand massage her forehead. She didn’t look at Star, preferring the sight of her palm.

“Oh great.” Star smiled. Her hands switched between squeezing he covers and smoothing them back out. "Well you don’t have to worry about that. I get over everything quickly.”

Star began to stand but the mother’s words interrupted any attempt she would make at escape. “That wasn’t what I wanted to say.”

“Drat.” Did Star mention how much this reminded her of her mother. Cause this really reminded Star of conversing with her mother.

Angie looked directly at her guest. “Star. This place. The one you said he was for years. That’s just one place right? Was it- how was it?”

“I didn’t really spend too much time there. Probably was there longer picking up Hekapoo today than I was ‘rescuing’ Marco.” She used quotation marks. “It was cozy.”

“And safe?” Angie added.

“Ya I guess. Don’t really think he spent too much time at her house though.” Well he spent just enough time at Hekapoo’s place for a baby to have been conceived, but Star wasn’t going to mention that.

“He was probably all over the place. He was trying to get a pair of dimensional scissors because it turns mine were sort of stolen?” Star had decides to be completely honest. Something she didn't always do with her parents, but she hopes that the more receptive Angie Diaz would care for. It didn’t stop her from sweating when she mentioned that last detail however.

“And your parents. They couldn’t have gotten you another pair.” Angie suggested

“Well they kind of didn’t know that I had them for awhile.” Star explained. “I mean they probably do now because of that whole Toffee thing.”

“Where Marco almost died.” The mother seem to lose a tiny bit of color from her cheeks.

“Ya that.” Star visible cringed. “Well it didn’t really matter either way because he didn’t really wait and see if we could get another pair. He just went and got them before I even notice.”

“Before you notice was about thirty years.” Angie said slowly. Still not sure of the whole concept of time dilution. “Star, sweetie. Why didn’t your parents want you to have scissors?”

“Oh, because I was supposed to stay on Earth. They thought that dimension hopping might be dangerous.” The princess didn’t like admitting to an authority figure how blatantly she had been breaking the rules given to her. “But it’s no big deal. It’s nothing I can't handle.”

“Star, I was talking with Rafael.” The women chose her words carefully. “And this might not be permanent but we decided on something and these details just made it a much easier choice to make.

Star nodded and Angie continued. “Your parents know a lot more about all this than I do and I should trust their judgment.”

“Wait, Mrs Diaz.” The mewman whined.

Angie finalized her thought. “New rule: No dimension traveling.”

 

“Well that was a complete mess.” Hekapoo muttered to herself. On the other hand it actually went a bit better than she thought. Not that whatever relationship she had with Mrs Diaz was trashed, but still she half expected things to get thrown.

The portal home died and the dimensional mistress moves only for the side of her foot to hit against a pot. It was just there on the ground for some reason. That wasn’t where she normally keeps the utensils.

Speaking of mess, now that she was actually paying attention. She saw how her kitchen was a complete garage heap. Ah oh.

She walked down one room and yep, it was trashed too. Clean up had definitely been bumped up on the list of chores she had to do. Stone doors were missing from their passageways, probably explained by the rubble on the ground. On the other hand the rubble could also had been the work of the missing urns, and the big hole in the ceiling.

Rhombulolus better have a freaking good explanation for all this.

There was moaning and she froze. It was faint, footsteps would overpower it. Traveling down her home it got closer and she still hadn’t seen hide nor hair of her baby or her guardian.

She hated to admit, Rhombulus was a commissioner and could handle himself and a baby for an hour or two, but she was a tiny bit worried. That feeling only intensified when she got to the edge of the next room and started to push the door open. She had barely shifted it when the moans grew louder.

Her heart actually skipped a beat. She was more surprise at that than whatever was behind the door. She cursed under her breath and steeled herself.

The door flew open. Her feet were in the air, there was no time spared to assess the situation. She clapped and it was as if a miniature sun grew between her palms. It died as quickly as it came, forming two scissors blades which she gripped in each hand.

Her torso twisted as she posed. The blades spun so they could be held in reverse grips. She was ready for a fight.

“Hekapoo.” She wasn’t prepared for Rhombulus upside down tangled up in chains that hung from the ceiling.

“Rhombulus” Hekapoo eyes widen and her arms dropped. She looked around the destroyed home, “Where is Minerva?”

As if on cue there was a ferocious roar. The demoness looked to the direction of the howl only to get a face full of dust.

Her wall exploded.

“Over there.” Hekapoo heard the commissioner whine.

When the ash dispersed she could see the family pet looking pretty excited that she was home. She was happy to see Nacho but she was much happier to see her daughter sitting on the dragon cycle’s back.

Maybe sitting wasn’t the correct word. The baby was more clinging onto the dragon’s handles, using her supreme baby grip. Her baby butt didn’t quite reach the seat, instead it dangled a inch over it. She had a pair of sunglasses. Hekapoo had no idea that she had even owned a pair, but there was her baby looked almost proud to wear the specs.

There was a fit of baby giggles. Hekapoo didn’t know if it was because she was home, if Minnie was having fun with Nacho or if it was because she was please at the utter destruction she had caused.

The mother looked up at the guardian “How?”

The kid couldn't even stand yet.

Rhombulolus could only whine. Well whine and shift in and out of consciousness.

The red headed commissioner slapped her face. She couldn’t kid herself. This wasn’t surprising at the least. All this did was remind her exactly why she hired a babysitter despite having the ability to be literally everywhere at once, also why she paid Kelly a fortune just for taking care of the brat. “Hopefully ‘daddy’ knows exactly what he signed up for.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kind of planning this chapter from the time Hekapoo met Angie. In retrospect I'm not sure if it works. Most of the time in these type of stories Angie and Rafael are written as being almost instantly understanding, but they're parents. They ultimately wanted what was best for their son. Like they are understanding when Marco was taken by Toffee, didn't stop them from suiting up in armor once they got Star's folks involved. 
> 
> Partly I feel like this is kind of like the incident with Miss Henious and Marco parents, where they resolve to keep an closer eye on the kids, but this is a bit more heavy and permanent.
> 
> 12/31: Okay so now that everyone of importance knows Marco's secret I have a few things to figure out with how to proceed the story. There are a few things I have to deal with. So far I think I wrote about a third of what I wanted to do in this story. The first part was going to be the family and friends and how they react, this will continue off with Marco dealing with (technically) being a teenage father. He will have to deal with not only the responsibilities of taking care of his daughter but how his relationship with the people around him have changed because of it. It will probably be a bit more light compared with the last few chapters I wrote. The final third of the story will be much more serious arc where Hekapoo is more of the focus instead of Marco.
> 
> Second off, is that scene with Jackie and Janna. That's going to lead to a thing, a few chapters maybe. 
> 
> So I have to figure out how I'm going to break the story apart. So far I'm thinking of having the whole Raising Minnie part happen side by side with the Jackie adventure. Would make it a little bit easier to write and everyone who came to read about Marco's and Hekapoo's baby won't be too bored. These two storylines would than eventually meet up and lead to the final third of the fic. 
> 
> The alternative would be to break up the story by making it a four part series. I would end Red Bundle in either the next chapter or the one after that and than make the Jackie adventure and the Raising Minnie arc into their own stories. When the final part is out I would than write it with the intent that the reader went through the adventures in baby raising and have the characters basically explain or draw attention to the plot relative points that happened in the Jackie adventure. The good thing about this is that anyone who doesn't wish to follow Jackie and Janna (don't know who wouldn't, they're great) don't have to. 
> 
> I'm leaning to the first option mostly, but there are positives about the second.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hekapoo's Past and Jackie's Present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have haven't updated this in a while. Watch Season 3, started a new series. Meant to finish that other series "Quadrant", cause that was supppose to only be a set amount of chapters oppose to Red Bundle's length of "I have no idea." 
> 
> Didn't finish that, instead I dropped a 15k one shot that left me with mentally exhausted for a good few months. Eventually I tried to go back to Quadrant but I got on how I wanted to do the next part of Red Bundle and I wasn't going to get anything done until I got this down.
> 
> So while Quadrant was suppose to be a quick break from Red Bundle. Red Bundle ended up being a quick break from Quadrant.
> 
> I buckled up, did some one shots to warm up and here we go.

“I’m dying.” Two words repeated. Was it any surprise when Jackie abandoned her bag? It was only weighing her down. Was it surprising when she threw her board down; it’s wheels up in the air, spinning? She charged through the passageway. It didn’t have a door, but that didn’t matter. If there had been one, she would’ve only broken through. There was no force on Earth that would stop her.

The only barrier that stood to her challenge had been curtains which were easily moved.

“I’m dying” was repeated, but the context had changed as she saw a game console between two dark hands. Across from the giant mitts were another pair, much smaller and slender.

These hands were connect to her best friend, holding a console of her own. She sat in a uncomfortable looking seat, but she was making the most of it. Her legs were crossed on it.

Janna lowered the game, “Yo, Thomas. My butt actually made it inside this time around. Playing a game with your old man.”

“And I'm totally dying here.” There was a grunt and the large arms jokingly jerked the console downwards. His elbows ruffled the sheets of his bed.

Jackie eyes traveled from his arms up to his face. The slim cueball gave her a playful frown. “I thought kids your age were suppose to respect old men like me.”

“Respect means I don’t go easy on you.” Janna inputted a couple more commands with no expression on her face other than a smirk that lasted a fraction of a second, “Though this is getting embarrassing. Come on Jack, I need a new opponent here. I'm starting to feel like I’m kicking around a kitten.”

“I'm not that bad.” The man playfully scoffed.

Janna paused for a moment. Looking at the man and giving him a moment chance to double back on that statement. When he didn’t take his words back she only muttered “If you say so.”

“Oh you didn’t” The beginnings of puppy dogs eyes could be seen, an interesting sight on a fully grown man. He swallowed his pride and from where he was sitting turned as best he could to Jackie, “Honey, avenge your father.”

The man raised both arms above his head and shook his fist to the heavens above. “Avenge me.”

Jackie rolled her eyes, but she didn’t seem annoyed at the antics. In fact there was a shy but noticeable smile on her mug. “Fine dad.”

She stepped around his bed, the center of the enclosed curtain and took a seat next to her best friend. She leaned forward to grab the console. Her dad let her have it and slid down underneath his sheets.

“Nice to go against someone who knows what they’re doing. Your dad is a major button masher.” Janna brought the handheld closer to her face. Everytime she flick the analogue it made a pronouce ring.

Jackie simply nodded, allowing the music of the game to fill the air. It was accompanied by the sound of digitalized jabs and slashes giving no real indicated of who was winning.

The man relaxed. His head was flat against his pillow but his eyes were on the two girls. He had a natural smile.

It reflected on their excitement as they played with one another and it grew as they grew more excited. Janna started to swing her arms side to side, going so far to tap her elbow against his daughter side who took it in stride.

From what he could gather, the situation was looking dire for Ordonia. She was muttering complaints such as “Stop spamming Thomas,” and as her guts and groans increased in both frequency and volume. As she grew desperate so did her measures and she reached over. Janna allowed her fingers to travel to Jackie just where the hem of her shorts met her skin and started to tickle her.

Jackie flinched sharply, stabbing her elbow down to shield herself from the assault. She wanted to say something obviously but chose to stay quiet until the job was done. She eventually did let out a fit of giggles as Janna quickly adapted to her defense and curled her wrist around the arm.

“Janna, stop.” Jackie chuckled and the blonde’s own fingers moved faster. Her personal depersation clearly affected her gameplay ever so slightly.

Seeing the opening in the skater’s armor, Janna knew to go for the kill and faster than Jackie could react she found Janna’s hand had moved to the console itself. “Janna, no.” Jackie commanded but it was pointless as Janna interfered with her controls move the analog in every which way while rapidly pressing a button on her own console.

“Janna, you damn cheater.” Jackie had enough and put her foot down, literally. Using that leg to stand for just a second, she vaulted herself over to her friend. Her back was on Janna, but so was all her weight.

The sudden movement brought the console out of reach and all Janna could do was swat Jackie’s side as she slowly was crushed. “Thomas, your giant butt is on me.”

“My giant butt is about to win.” Jackie smiled. She ignored the blow, knowing it was only a desperate attempt to distract her from the fact that she was winning.

“Look at the two of you.” The two of them shifted their gaze as the man on the bed laughed to himself. He was looking straight at them, but at the same time it seemed like he was peering at a completely different picture. “You girls don’t change, do you?”

Jackie slid off her friend and nearly dropped on the floor before she landed down back to her own seat. Janna let out a weak puff of air from her nose, “I hope not. I’m pretty top tier, might’ve peeked already.”

“You girls used to do the exact same thing just a couple years ago. Kept me up all night hearing you feud over whatever game you were playing. You had sleepovers with each other every single weekend.

Jackie nodded with a fond smile. She didn’t have anything to say to defend herself nor did she want to. Those days were fun.

“Weekend.” He tested the word out. The father couldn’t reel back but he gave it a try, crushing his pillow back just an inch further. “What day is it? It’s not the weekend yet is it? Jackie, You were here yesterday too.”

“Close enough.” The girl was hesitant to answer, “It’s Friday” but she didn’t lie.

The man’s expression seemed well practiced. He had gone through the motions many times before. “Jackie, you know you can’t-”

She knew exactly what he was going to say. There was no knew for him to finish. “Dad. Please. It’s not going to kill me.”

“We’ve been over this.” He wasn’t looking at her as he spoke. The man read his palms, his fingertips were on his brow. The headache was on the rise. “Your mother doesn’t know you’re here.”

That wasn’t a question, but a fact.

“You know I don’t want this to affect you. You should be enjoying school.”

There was a laugh. “You don’t really ‘enjoy’ school, just survive it.” Janna snarked.

A hand dropped down. The man’s eyes traveled to his daughter’s friend. “Janna.” He whispered. Hearing his tone, without context, someone would think he was the troublemaker’s father instead of the skateboarder’s.

“She just needed a few days to hide away from her boyfriend.” Janna promptly defended her friend’s actions.

The confession brought a glare to her forehead like laser sights. Janna felt heat from the way Jackie scowled at her. The hat wearer could feel a small ball of sweat free itself from a pore and slowly unravel. She smiled nervously and mouthed, “I’m sorry.”

“Boyfriend.” The word seemed foreign to the adult. “My daughter. A boyfriend?”

“No dad.” Jackie shook her head. “Not anymore.”

Janna piped in before she had a chance to elaborate. “Nothing is official. I mean, you guys haven’t really talked it out. You still like each other, right?”

“He has a kid, Jan.”

It was almost incomprehensible the way Jackie muttered it, but her father could make it out. “A kid? How old is this guy?”

“My age, dad.”

The man punched the bed on both sides, propelling his torso up. “He cheated on my little girl. I’m going to show this punk who he’s messing with.”

Janna pushed on the air in front of her as if that would affect the man in front of her. “Easy old timer, we all know you’re not suppose to be out and about.”

“Even better. No one would point the finger on me. I have the perfect alibi.” The father seemed almost proud of the sudden idea. “So who needs killing?”

“Marco Diaz.”

“Marco Diaz.” The father glared as if he could see the teen in question through the walls. He blinked. “Marco Diaz? That shy little guy? I remember thinking he had a crush on you when you were only this tall.” He hovered a hand over the floor, picturing a height much smaller than Jackie was now.

“And there’s his folks. I’ve met them. They seemed like such nice people.” Rolling his head back, he could only imagine what they were going through. He sighed and than immediately got over it. He perked up, “Oh well, we’re send them some flowers for the funeral. Janna, you got a shovel on you?”

“Dad.” Jackie whined, though it was hard to tell if it was because she didn’t want her dad moving more than he should or if it was because the man was very verbally discussing murder.

Her friend drew attention to herself. “As much as I normally would be into this, I got to stop you right there. First, I’m honestly offended you would think that I wasn’t always within a ten foot radius of a shovel at any given time.”

“Janna.” Her friend really wasn’t helping Jackie out.

Janna scratched her chin, getting into the more important detail. “Second: This isn’t completely Marco’s fault.”

The man narrowed his eyes. The question in his stare was blunt. Janna explained, “We got some magic biz going on.”

“Magic.” The father stated, his eyes remained on her.

Janna couldn’t explain it any better. Could she got into detail about what she heard. The alternate dimension, the time difference, the other worldly entity. She was sure that the fact she and Jackie even went to class with a magical girl was only mentioned casually and without deep analysis for the man’s sake.

“Magic.” It looked like he could taste the very word when he spoke it. There seemed to be a spell that calmed him and soon his head hit the pillow once more. “Makes things a bit complicated, doesn’t it.”

There was a weak smile shared between the father and daughter. It soon faded as he reached for her. His palm cupped her cheek and he asked, “How are you?”

“Fine, dad.” Jackie smiled, or tried to.

Whatever she facade she could muster, her father saw right through it. “Janna?”

“Internalizing it as is normal.” Janna who had returned to her game, gave her diagnosis of the situation. Once again feeling the death glare, she quickly whined. “I don’t know why you’re looking at me like that. It’s the truth isn’t it?”

“I had a feeling that was the case.” Jackie’s father looked straight up like he was offering a tiny prayer.

“I know, right." Janna laughed without looking up from the console screen. “I swear one day, she’s gonna snap and down some jerk who drilled into her at the wrong time.”

Janna threw her thoughts into the air, “Letter opener in the throat. Your boss yelled at you for using the wrong font one too many times.”

“Tragic.” The father sobbed, joining into the farce. “It was his fault for not understanding the difference between Arial and Times New Roman.”

Jackie brought her eyes down to her palm. She muttered to herself. “I’m starting to regret every decision I’ve ever made that brought me between the two of you.”

He probably should’ve have found his daughter’s suffering so amusing but he couldn’t help the wide smile on his mug. “Sorry, it’s just that you were always like that. Took everything in stride even when it wasn’t healthy.”

“The same since the day I met you.” A haze surrounded him, “A little girl waist deep in water. A scratch the side of a fork on her arm. She barely had a tear in her eye.”

He shook his head, but the cloud didn’t disperse, “And not a peep when I found you. Even when I took you to the emergency room. You swallowed something down there. Barely even realised it, you were so quiet. Had to get your stomach pumped.”

“I remember dad.” Jackie found that she had to shallow down something. It wasn’t a day that she liked to remember, but one she had to treasure anyway.

There was a hitch in his voice. He grabbed his daughter’s hand. It almost felt like the sound waves were stabbing his throat on their way out and he needed her just to get through it. “Me and your mom made a promise to take care of you and I messed it up.”

“Dad, don’t say that.” Her eyes grew cloudy and while her vision became slightly blurred, his did too.

“You been perfect since the day I found you and I after I fell. I didn’t want this to happen to you. You shouldn’t be here. You should be at school.” He squeezed.

“Dad.” She whined a bit, but got no answer.

“Can you hear me. Dad?” She place her free hand on his shoulder and tried to move it about but he was solid like a lump of bricks. He just continued to mutter to himself even as his breath grew so irregular that he wasn’t truly even making sound.

Jackie shot up, her hand over her mouth. It’s presence shoved down a scream. She took three fast but large steps. She nearly fell, but held herself up with the doorless frame. She screamed “I need someone!”

Down the other side of the hall, “Someone get in here!”

She didn’t get her sentence fully out as nurses began to rush in past her. The wind pressure from them was almost enough to knock her off her feet, not that there was much strength in them to begin with.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and she clutched it in hers. She was turned around. Janna met her face to face, eye to eye. “Jackie, they know what they’re doing. It’s going to be okay.”

“My dad-” She choked.

“Will be okay. You understand?” Janna supplied her own answer. She nodded her head viciously as if that would make Jackie understand her words better. “I’m gonna call your mom. You got it, I’m going to be right back.”

Janna let go and Jackie nearly dropped. She wandered somewhere. It didn’t matter where. Jackie just knew she was alone. She fell into a crouch, low and surrounds into the crease of her arms. “This can’t be happening.”

“I think I’ve caught you at a bad time.” There was a voice. It sounded older than her, but not by too much. A shadow overtook her form. There was a figure, tall. That was all anyone could describe of it. Any feature he has was covered by a large black cloak.

There was a spectre of some sort in one hand. He double checked it. He pulled on his robe, down until it revealed a very human looking face. His hair was red, so was his goatee. Both were long and stringy, but it was his eyes that she struck out to her. They were her’s. He had her eyes. “I wished I could've chosen a better moment, Jacquline.”

 

 

Vhin had a routine. He would wake up in the morning and water the flowers. He kept some hung from the window of his small apartment. It was during than that he would wave at whoever passed by. It was usually the mail man but it wasn’t rare to see someone on a bicycle or a gaggle of the neighborhood kids.

After that he would make himself breakfast, some fish, mashed up with some onions. He would start the gas on his stove and spit a small flame and the meal was ready soon enough.

He would walk to his chamber mirror and groom. Clean some dust that was between his scales, maybe put a bit of polish on them. Give them a nice golden look instead of the plain yellow they usually were.

A bowler hat would be placed on his head and a pair of glasses, balanced on his long snout. There was always the possibility that he would have to change at work, but he liked to look his best during the walk there and back. Also he was a particular of the bright blue bowtie that he often wore and wanted to show it off as much as possible.

He would pick one of his flowers before he made the trip. He would travel down a spiral on the hill his building was on, following a path to the center of the busy city. He would smile to those he passed by but only offer a “good morning” if they did first. When he had walked across the brick bridge, over the river that ran through the center town, he would stop by the statue there.

He than would bent down before the golden monument. It was a strange form. It didn’t look like any kobold would look. It didn’t have scales nor a tail like a kobold. It was also rather big and curvy while most kobolds tended to be skinny and flat, but that made sense. After all wouldn’t a god beyond kobold understanding have a form that was beyond their understanding?

Vhin would say his respects for the god, Hekapoo and would march straight to his practice, just a block away.

His assistant, a boy with green scales would greet him as he opened the door and they would exchange words before he went to the back room. He would take his flower and place it in a jar on his desk. Any flower that started to lose it color would be thrown away. Unless of course he was feeling sentimental that day than he would press the petals in a book he kept next to his medical journals.

The patients would start coming it. He would answer their questions and concerns and more often than not everything would be minor at most. Sometimes he felt he was more there for peace of mind rather than any actually ailments.

When it was late. He would walk over to a friend of his who worked the market. They would sell him what they had leftover for a cheap price, plus a salmon he could use for breakfast the next day. It helped sweeten the deal. He would carry the paper bag close to him on the way back. He wasn’t the biggest fan of the dark and this was considering that kobolds had much better night vision than most. His feet would scurry up the hill to his home and he would almost slam his front door behind him.

When he no longer felt afraid of whatever he had imagined to be creeping in the dark, he would make dinner. His food was almost experimental at times, base on the ingredients he had available but he ate it anyway. After everything it would be off to bed.

He did that everyday, except for the 6th day where he would wander to the park to feed the pixie dragons.

There were of course special occasions. One time when he had gone down the hill he had spotted a crowd that even the city had trouble holding. Some pushed to get to the source of the commotion and they were pushed back. He wanted to get a look himself.

He got his wish. Someone say him and shouted, “It’s the doctor. She wants to see him.”

The people parted like a valley between two mountains. He felt nervous, he didn't know what was happening but he didn’t like being the center of attention. The only hint of everyone’s excitement was the path that was forming from the other side of the audience. Eventually he saw the last two kobolds split up and he knew what they saw.

It was the goddess. Her flesh was as white as chalk and she had a long trail of fur that shot down from head. Color aside, she looked exactly like the statue he has passed on the way to work for the last twenty years. Though looking at her stomach, he couls note thay she looked much heavier.

There was no one between them when she acted. The god interlaced her claws into his bow tie and pulled. She looked right in his eye and spoke, “Get this thing out of me.”

What would you do if god came down to earth and started giving commands? You’d probably listen. So god was given a bed to rest in while the the doctor tried to make head and tail of her enlarged stomach and strange muscle spasms.

“If it’ll help. You can hold my claw.” The assistant was providing excellent bedside manner. The goddess took him up on his offer, grasping his digits immediately.

“Oh that’s kinda tight” the green kobold chuckled nervously. He knew she was god, but her grip was a bit stronger than what he was expecting.

“This is a first for me.” Vhin muttered as he peeked under the blanket they had given her.

There was a audible crack and the poor green dragon man fell to his knees. He wasn’t sure if his arm could normally make that angle but Hekapoo was doing a good job in making it stick there. “What do you mean this is your first time? I thought you were a doctor.”

“Yes a doctor, not a vet.”

There was another large snap and green scales started to visible cry. “Are you calling me some sort of animal.”

“No goddess.” any groveling looked ridiculous while the medical expert was front of the expecting mother, “It’s just that most of our kind lay eggs. The process compared to this is not as intense.”

The punching bag slumped into a puddle like mess as Hekapoo let go out his claw. She took a deep breath and exhaled, “This is what I get for populating this place with reptiles.”

The kid was completely stubborn, but soon enough the miracle of birth had kicked in and the multiverse welcomed to the world a brand new baby girl. The doctor gave himself a pat on the back and wrapped the baby up before handing it over to the new mother.

She felt a relief as the ordeal’s end. Her body felt exhausted yet unbelievable light, the exception being the dead weight in her arms.

Was there supposed to be a spark, an instant connection to the lump that had been essentially part of her for nine months?

“Hey.” She called out to the newborn. She must’ve not been loud enough because the thing was still just there, just kind of sucking on air. “Hey, do something.”

It preferred to do the opposite.

“Oh now you're in no rush to go anywhere.” Was this normal? Did babies just not move around at all. It wasn’t completely still. She guess that was a good thing. It just gently frail under the blanket. She wished it had been so calm when it was in her. A few of those kicks hurt.

She thought she should say something. “Cute horns.”

She was afraid to touched them. They were so tiny. Like little pieces of candy corn. “They felt much bigger on the way out. Something so small can do so much damage.”

Hekapoo frowned. She looked around but her faithful worshippers have all left the room. She was completely alone.

“Guess I’m doing this.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was hoping to do four segments, but I reached two and it was already 4k. It doesn't help that both end on good places for cliffhangers.
> 
> Looking at season 3, I actually got really lucky at how little it effects what I've written for the story and what i was planning to write.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some stuff happens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey I actually did two chapters in one month.

“So today’s the day.” Hekapoo stuffed random items into a velvet sack. It was nice, far nicer than most of the things in her house which made it suitable for holding the bottle, toys and whatever else would be needed for the weekend. She bobbed and weaved in and out of the kitchen gathering what was necessary.

“Don’t remind me.” Hekapoo responded. She was also sitting at her kitchen table, face down, nose smushed.

“Hey, we been keeping everything pretty linear around here ever since Marco found out about our bundle of joy.” There was a clatter as the first Hekapoo pushed a few knick knacks that were in her way. “If we really wanted to avoid this we could just speed this place up a couple of years.”

“We could.” Hekapoo Two readjusted her head so that she rest on her chin. She let out a groan, “But than he would whine.”

The first Hekapoo presented herself to the first. She place the sack down gently. “Why don’t we allow the kid to decide?”

There was a giggle. At her highchair there was Minnie, much bigger than she was when she was born. She could even move around a bit as she so gloriously demonstrated to Rhombolus the day prior. The baby squished the sack, each hand hitting the sides simultaneously. Maybe she knew her toys were in there or maybe she was fascinated at the new material cause she gave it a pinch and a few more swats until it unbalanced and felt to the floor.

“So was that a ‘yes, prevent me from meeting my still teen father’ or ‘no, don’t do that?’” Hekapoo 2: Return of Hekapoo gauged the infants reaction.

The only response she got was the girl’s aweing at the sack on the ground and the effect that the miracle of gravity had on it.

Hekapoo hissed, “You’re no help at all.”

Minnie laughed and slapped her chair until she let out a long wet raspberry. Hekapoo was a grown woman, but even than a small part of her felt that her kid was mocking her plight.

There was a ball of smoke which formed in between the two Hekapoos. They were already whining by the time it began to speak. “Hekapoo.”

It clear a bit, but not completely revealing a skull in it’s center. It’s irisless face gazed at both the figure sitting and then the figure standing up. It greet the clone, “Hekapoo.”

The redhead, the one at the table waved her hand lazily, a flame flipped over and put itself out. The Hekapoo who had gathering the supplies didn’t complain as she vanished out of reality. The one with her chin pressed against the table spoke, “Sorry Hekapoo isn’t here right now.”

“Very funny.” The skull didn’t think it was something to laugh out loud to, but he did have a hint of amusement in his voice.

“Can’t hear you. We’re breaking up.” Hekapoo shot out a few more excuses.

“We’re not on a mirror.” The skull argued.

Hekapoo scoffed. She kicked her head back till it hung over the back of the chair. “Doesn’t matter. Go away Omnitraxus”

“Hey, don’t be like that. I just wanted to talk a little.” Minnie caught Omnitraxus Prime’s eye. “About this little dear.”

Minerva didn’t blinked as the entity caught her attention. There was a small amount of drool in the corner of her mouth, but she couldn’t risk for it to distract her from him.

“Why is everyone bothering me about my daughter?” Hekapoo shouted upwards to some mysterious being.

“Well it’s just that you have a daughter.” Prime hesitated, “And you didn’t really tell me.”

“Was I supposed to?” Hekapoo crossed her arms. She couldn’t possibly see how the other commissioner was relative to all of this.

“Well ya, I mean we are family and I got time-space powers and you got time-space powers.” He rambled on as an uninterested demoness stared. “I thought we were a team, y’know like Rhombulus and Lektmet. The time space duo.”

“Omni, what are you talking about?” She said and the talking head gave a whimper. Hekapoo massage her temples. She wasn’t sure if a migraine and a headache were two different things or not. Either way she was experiencing both of them. “We were never closer then we had to be. What is this really about?”

Omnitraxus might’ve not had skin or muscle but he had centuries of experience to adopt a face that made it look like he been stabbed right in the back. “I’m just trying to figure out how this all happened.”

“Well when a man and a woman love each other very much, the woman challenges the man to a sixteen year long duel.” Hekapoo started her personal version of the birds and the bees.

“You know what I mean.” The floating entity dismissed her mockery, “It’s not like we’re mortals. This doesn’t really happen to us.”

“Why not?” Hekapoo thought about it, “We can eat and drink. There’s no reason why I shouldn’t have been able to poop that rugrat out. It was always a possibility.”

Her guest considered it, “That does make sense, but why now?”

“I forgot my birth control.”

Omnitraxus wasn’t eating or drinking. In fact it was hard to judge whether he could consume anything in his bodiless form, but by some miracle he nearly did choke. “You forgot your birth control?”

“Ya.” Hekapoo made it clear that she didn’t wish to elaborate further.

“After centuries of existence, you just forgot your birth control.” Prime acted like didn’t believe he heard her correctly the first time.

His fellow commissioner shrugged. “What can I say? I forgot. I’m not perfect”

“Huh.” The floating skull didn’t know what he had expected but it wasn’t exactly that. Regardless he moved on to his next line of questioning. “So why didn’t you tell us?”

Hekapoo hummed like she was considering her answer. It was blatantly obvious that she was not. “Didn’t feel like it.”

“Hekapoo. I can see endless timelines with endless versions of both of us. I don’t believe everything single version of you will be this stubborn.”

“You can really take the fun out of things Omnitraxus.” Hekapoo frowned, “Okay so long long time ago. Some unseen unknowable force popped out Glossaryck, sent him on some random mission to spread magic across the universe.”

“That close enough, but I don’t see how that is relevant.” The skulled was clearly hushed.

“Getting to that.” Hekapoo sat up. “So universe popped out Glossaryck, and he ended up with the people of Mewni, spreading their culture and influence. In order to make it easy, he popped out us.”

Omnitraxus didn’t interrupt. He gave the red head all the time she needed to finish her thought.

“I popped out this little girl, now what?” Hekapoo laid down the question. “When this tyke becomes adult size, does she belong with the commission? Does she stick with me making scissors with me for the next stretch of immortality?”

“I don’t know. I guess she will choose.” It was obvious that the guardian of of space-time hadn’t given the idea of independent action much weight.

“Will she? Or will dear old ‘dad’ float in all day hinting that my daughter has some destined duty that she’ll be stuck with for the rest of existence?” Hekapoo massaged her temples. Her vision was focus on the table, or maybe she was looking through it. “Cause commissioner or not, we do our thing. Omnitraxus: manage the timelines, Rhombulus: jail the criminals, Father Time: keep things linear.”

“I never felt like my job was a burden” Prime was certain of that, but he still felt nervous, “Did you?”

“No. Mewni is stuck with me. They could fire me and I still be compelled to keep the place from burning down. That what we were made to be, we can’t help it.” Hekapoo laughed, or she did something that sounded like it. Didn’t feel like a laugh though. “But what do I want for this brat? Since you’re forcing me to be uncomfortably honest, my first gut instinct was to duck out. Keep her in my pocket until she decided what she wanted to be.”

The skull frowned. “Well that’s foolish.”

“Ya I know.” Hekapoo added, “Things don’t go well when any of us decides to do our own thing.”

“No,” Omnitraxus refuted, “Because you believed I would force my niece to do something she didn’t to do.”

Hekapoo didn’t realized that her back had felt a little tense. Not until it suddenly shagged, allowing her chin to drop into her palm of her hands being propped up on the table by her elbows. “Planning on spoiling her, huh?”

It seemed that the serious talk was swiftly smothered by the entity’s words, for the moment anyway. It helped Hekapoo didn’t really want to talk about it in the first place. She felt embarrassed by what she had said.

She didn’t feel like it was over and done with, but the peace would be nice for a little bit until it came up again. Forcing someone to play a role was the exact type of thing the commission would do.

 

 

Jackie where are you?

Your mom is on her way.

She didn’t even ask me why I was here when I called her.

Though I’m probably gonna get a ear full soon.

Your dad is alright.

They’re letting me back in.

I get it. You want to probably wanted to be alone in case…

But he’s fine. He’s going to be fine.

Just text me anything so I know you're alright.

Please.

The last bubble blew up on her phone and for a moment she thought about texting. Jackie hit the ‘o’ and the ‘k’ but she could only get her thumb to hover over send. She could only curse to herself when she put the screen back to sleep. “I got to head out.”

“You haven’t been listening to a thing I said, have you?” Had he been talking? Jackie guess he has, but if she was honest, it had been white noise.

Jackie pushed of the fence. Somehow he talked her up onto the roof. Dumb in retrospect. She had no idea this guy was. Only who he claimed to be.

The man in the black robe raised a single hand as if commanding her to halt. “Look I understand.”

Jackie shook her head, “If you did, you wouldn’t be trying.”

He licked his lips before he spoke. Maybe they were dry. “It’s because I understand that I’m trying.”

“Dad needs me.” Jackie knew that only as a fact.

The man’s green eyes grew wide, but he nodded. “Yes he does.”

The blonde began to move to the door. She kept her vision on him. It was an excellent imitation of weary prey. “Bye.”

Her fingers traced the door handle but she didn’t begin to grip it before the red hair man spoke again. “Jacqueline, there isn’t much time.”

She breathed in, “Ya.” She breathed out, “Maybe.”

The knob turned. The hinges made a snap creek long squeak. Her arms felt weak. It was like she barely had the energy to escape.

“Jacqueline, listen.” The man ordered her. He kept his voice low, the same way you would to fein politeness, but there was a growl behind it.

Jackie didn’t care. She had more important things to worry about. “What do you even want?”

“You have to come with me.” He laid it down to her. That was his mission and he wouldn’t leave until it was fulfilled.

“No.” There was a snort. She found it so crazy that her sense left her for a moment. It shot back into her quickly. Jackie founded herself spitting another “No,” at the man, with the same tone one would scold a dog.

“Jacqueline, I’m asking for you.”

Jackie balled her fist for a second before mustering the strength to uncurl them. Touching her fingers together she raised her hand and stabbed the air repeatedly. “Dude, I don’t even know you.”

She looked like she began to squeeze an invisible ball with her raised hand. The difficulty of the imaginary task caused her to bare her teeth. “You’re what, my brother and now you want me to go off to some place I haven’t been to since I was what, four, five?”

“That about sums it up. It would be so important for father” The red hair man nodded, “and I believe it might be therapeutic for you.”

The bubble popped and she swept the hand through her hair, “I already knew I was adopted and I just got to say, I’m over it. I’ve been over it for years.”

“I understand. I would be angry too.” He tried diplomatically.

“Nope, not even angry. Over it.” It didn’t sound completely convincing, but she was irritated at that moment, if for no other reason than he because he was delaying her.

“Would you please reconsider for me?” Was he trying to give her puppy dog eyes? She couldn’t believe it. What made it more annoying was that the tone, the expression was all something she would do.

Jackie scrunched her face. “Don’t even know your name.”

“It’s me, Jakey.” He coughed, “Jacob, I mean. I used to tell you to call me that before.”

“Jacob.” She avoided any nicknames, “There is just things more important to me right now. Listen, I know what’s it like to see someone you love suffering.” In fact he was keeping her away from said love one, a thought she decided not to vocalize. “But you want me to see a man I just don’t know, while my dad is downstairs. He was there were your’s wasn’t”

“He wanted to be.” He said quickly like he had to say something before Jackie walked away. “Do you think any of us knew where you were, that you were even alive? I just remember one that our mother telling me you were gone and your caretaker was jailed.”

“You found me now.” She countered.

Jacob nodded, “Yes and it was much harder than you realized. Earth is the prime example of ‘the last place you'll look.’ I have to admit that the crone might’ve lost her mind but she did choose the one place it would be nearly impossible to find you.”

“It must’ve been hard for you?” Jackie guessed. When had been young when she came to Earth. If the journey was hard for him, she had no real way of knowing. “But, I’m sorry. My answers still ‘no.’”

“Wait.” Jackie cursed under her breathe. Maybe she was allowing the guy too much empathy. She was getting sick by the distraction. She allowed him to speak, “That man downstairs. You won’t come because he’s ill, correct?”

Thomas glared at him.

“Oh right, dumb question.” He had the decency to give a sheepish smile. “Rhetorical really. I'm just wondering if you would come if there was a way for that man not to be. Sick, that is.”

 

 

The hook pulled on the red yarn. It dragged the material through a hoop, letting it go only pull another strand. Angie repeated this process again and again. It was slow work. Slower than it usually would take her. She was skilled at crafts but she found her normally steady hands disobeying her.

She heard a cough and looked up.

Her husband had the biggest grin and a hammer in one hand. He presented before him a wooden gate, about waste high. It was crude, but she believed in her husband’s carpentry enough to trust it was functional before he moved on to the next task.

They didn’t have much time to get ready for the baby.

The last snitch unravelled and someone cursed under their breaths. It was probably her. She would just have to start again.

It remained forgotten as the doorbell rang.

The hook tapped against the floor as the mother dropped it. The smile her husband had from completing his latest creation was gone. He had a blank look as his eyes were locked on the door. Angie looked at him and than peered at the front entrance herself. She tapped her palms against her lap twice, “Okay.”

She didn’t know what she was saying ‘okay’ to. Should she get the door or should Rafael? He hadn’t moved when she announced that so many she had mistakenly volunteered, no matter how much of a mistake she thought that was.

She stood up anyway. Normally she would’ve prelude her march to the door with a jolly “Coming,” but she didn’t feel up to that step, instead she creeped experimentally over to the handle. Her steps were silent except was that a squeak? There was a squeaky floorboard.

She thought about excessively testing that instead of moving to the door. Unfortunately her better thoughts won out and she reached the door quicker than she had hoped.

Working automatically she opened the door.

She didn’t see her son, her son’s daughter nor that woman who tricked her.

Angie saw a woman, brown skin, straighten hair that just kissed her shoulders.

“Sasha?” Angie asked. She couldn’t say that this was her last guess at who was rapping at her door, but it certainly wasn’t her first.

“Hey Angie, haven’t seen you since back to school night.” The woman, Sasha smiled, or at the very least she tried to. It seemed like she did so out of habit more than emotion. Her eyes seemed tired, mostly baggy.

It wasn’t help that she seem to be drifting off standing up. She snapped out of it and asked, “I’m sorry. I should’ve called, but I just needed to check real quick. Is Jackie here?”

“Jackie?” Angie looked past the woman. She understood why the woman might check for her daughter here, but Angie didn’t know how to tell her about the girl’s relationship with her son. Angie herself have a clue how the girl had taken the news or if she even had received the news at all.

She decided on, “No. No, she hasn’t been here in a while.”

The woman seemed to surrender at thay answer. To Angie it looked like gravity could overtake her at any minute.

“Alright.” Sasha nodded, “Just if you hear from her could you give me a call, or better yet, have Jackie call?”

Angie adopted a weary smile, inviting the woman if she desired to vent. “Is everything alright?”

The guest eyes wandered in the air for a moment, “What?” She blinked. “Yes, I’m fine. Just life, you understand?”

Angie wished she didn’t. Considering the current events she could only laugh, “Life can be full of surprises.”

The woman stood there. There was a momentary understanding between the two of them.

“Mom?” Just like that the spell was broken. “Mrs Thomas?”

Sasha stepped aside. A couple inches from where she had been standing was the young man of the house. Star wasn’t too far behind him.

The woman seemed like she wanted to greet the two teens but all the came out of her mouth was a huff of dry air. She turned back to Angie, “Just if you hear anything, please.”

“I understand.” The mother’s nod conveyed that she would prioritize it.

Marco and the woman moved passed one another as she left. Star leaned towards her friend and with a low voice asked, “Who’s that?”

“That’s Jackie’s mom.” Marco answered, though he seemed confused.

With that realization, Star spun on the tip of her toes and shouted “Bye Jackie’s mom. Bye.”

There was no doubt that Sasha Thomas had heard Star, but she entered her car without sparing a glance at the girl.

“Is everything alright?” Marco asked his mom.

Angie wasn’t sure if he was asking if everything was alright with her or if everything was alright with Mrs Thomas, but either way her answer was “I don’t know.”

It was quickly revised “I don’t think so.”

“Oh.” Marco looked inside. There was her half finished project on the couch and the baby proof gate his father had made among other hasty put together items. “Is everything ready?”

 

 

Inside?

Outside?

Inside but in some place they didn’t expect, like a closet or a cabinet?

That could be fun. She could scream surprise as someone went to get cereal, give them an heart attack and add to the short, but major list of reason her baby’s grandmother hated her.

She probably should play it safe and open the portal right outside the Diaz residence. Try to play down her nigh-omnipotence; act quaint.

Hekapoo did so. She slice the air easily with one hand as she held Minnie close to her in the other. The baby was wrapped up tight in her father’s hoodie. Lucky guy, her and Omnitraxus’ little chat was enough to bored the kid. She was down first round against the sandman.

Better that Minerva was a sleep. The kid can bring down hell sometimes when she see her mother leave.

If it was one thing she wasn’t going through today it was hell. Extremely awkward exchange with her baby daddy’s parents, maybe but she was going to be without a baby for a bit over two days. Hekapoo was going to have a stay home vacation because she was worth it. Maybe sun bath outside her house.

She dressed for the occasion too: Beach shirt, beach skirt. She had to poke her horns through her beach hat, but she felt it was worth it to complete the look.

What really brought it all together was a large pair of sunglasses which will hopefully do a lot to hide her expression in case her baby’s grandmother freaked out again.

Not that she was planning on that happening. She had no time to go through hell. She was on vacation.

Hekapoo raised her sunglasses up a bit, just to get a better look at child in her arms. It was just to double check if she actually had been asleep. She wouldn’t look pass the kid to try and pull one over on her.

In fact she dared the kid to make a fuss.

Instead all the kid did was expand her nosils as she snoozed. Of course when she’s not going to look after her, the brat chose not to be a ball of energy.

It was almost enough to cause her to roll her eyes, or maybe she did roll her eyes. No one would be able to tell behind the sunglasses. That is what they were there for.

With her free hand the mother reached her a string and pulled. The sack by her feet rose. She juggled it a bit by, lowering it a bit only to yank it back up just before it could touch the ground. Base on her judgement it was heavy. What did she pack and how did she fit it in there?

“Must be a mom thing.” She spoke to Minnie despite the only response being a puff of air as the baby exhaled. “You should definitely be good while muscles is fumbling around.”

Hekapoo allowed the sack to rest on the ground once more. Raising a fist in the air, she allowed it to hung in front of the Diaz residence front door.

There was no harm in a triple check. She pivoted away from the door and took a long hard look at her daughter. Strands of brown hair stuck out from the hoodie. She found the color a bit funny now that she knew who she had inherent it from. She adjusted the bundle a bit, trying to cover her as best as she could.

It was hard considering the horns got in the way. “I swear they’re getting bigger everyday.”

She took a step behind her but stopped as she realised that she was closer to the door than she thought. Hekapoo allowed the arch of her back to rest on the frame.

The mother took a deep breath so she could puff her chest. With one motion she spun back around, putting her back face to face with the door.

The fist went back up.

She twitched, “Guess I’m doing this” and allowed her knuckles to tap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay Jackie has a sick adopted father and a newly discoved blood brother. Time to begin her plot which will eventually rail back to the main plot. It might take a while which is why I was tempted to make it into it's own fic before.
> 
> Hope the way I wrote it made sense and isn't too jarring.
> 
> Also started setting up things for much later in the story with Hekapoo's and Omnitraxus's little talk. Base on lore I know Glassaryck made the commissioners. I added in Father Time as he fit in as a strange being in charge of a important task. In fact I will probably use "made by Glassaryck" as a general explanation for some things characters who will show up later.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackie wants to get away. Hekapoo needs to get away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a lot of drinking in this chapter. Wasn't planning that. It just came out that way.

“Guess I’m doing this.” Jackie with her pointer and thumb stroked a strain of hair, before tucking it behind her hair. She stared at the window of the carriage and saw water. It was just water and she had been looking out there for a good thirty minutes.

“Have you heard of Panacea?” No: that’s basically how she answered.

When Jacob filled her in on exactly what that meant, she had to go. This was the only solution. Even if she had to deal with whatever it was on end of this route.

Jackie dropped her forehead to her palms. She had to meet her parents. Birth parents. How was that going to work? She didn’t even remember their faces. Now she had to pretend to be glad to see them? Plus one of them were practically on their own death bed if she understood it correctly and she’s gonna spend the whole time thinking about how she rather be somewhere else. Good thinking Jacob. This was sure to go smoothly.

Some weak stranger is gonna look up to her and tell her how beautiful she looks during his last moment. What was she gonna do, give him finger guns, ‘right back at ya’?

“Hey Jackie, have you tried these?” There was chewing. Wait correction, there almost comically exaggerated chewing. Wrapping paper made a crack as it was torn by chocolate cover finger and with a single motion, Janna absolutely crushed the piece of candy.

“They have these chocolates shaped like little bottles.” There wasn’t even a fraction of a second between another sweet being freed from it’s imprisonment and that same piece entering the girl’s mawl.

“I thought you didn’t drink Janna.” Jackie looked up at her friend. Janna blinked. Guess she didn’t understand the relevance of the question. The blonde elaborated “Those chocolates look like bottles cause they have booze in them.”

“Huh?” Janna held one of the confections between her fingers and scanned it. After just a beat she shrugged “This is some good chocolate.”

Jackie could tell, the box of then that Janna had already opened was nearly done and she didn’t even wait to finish that box before she started emptying the contents of a second and third box into her backpack.

“So just so we’re straight.” Janna jimmered a few more chocolates into her bag, “Your brother showed up.”

“Ya.” Jackie answered.

“Your brother who neither of us knew about because you're were adopted after being abandoned by your crazy nan?” Janna seemed to paused between each sentence, ready for Jackie to correct when needed.

“Apparently.”

“And apparently you kept secret from me that you can breath underwater cause we’re in a carriage, being drawn by seahorses, leagues under the sea in a alternate dimension,” Janna opened another box,

“Ya, I'm like a mermaid or something like that.” Jackie answered, but her voice was shakey like she wasn't confident in her answer. “Like I don't really remember. It was some time ago.”

Janna stared at her friend would could only pleas silently back. It felt awkward. Jackie had invited her friend along, but in the end she had no idea how the beanie wearing girl would react to this. That is until Janna licked a bit of chocolate off her thumb and said “Well?”

“Well what?” Jackie blinked.

“That guy is heading to the same place we are, right?” Janna confirmed, ‘that guy’ being Jackie's biological brother. “I mean we're a billion leagues under the sea and he's swimming. You can do the same thing right? Do you secretly have gills or-?”

Janna let the question trail off. She leaned forward. Her head shriveled trying to find any unusual markings on her friend's neck.

After a few moments Jackie had looked away and muttered “Ya, basically,” before she started to shift. The change seem to align with a single breath. It was almost like chunks of flesh flipped like dominos revealing teal scales that armored portions of her arms from the tip of her fingers up to where her shirt covered. These scales invaded her legs, from where her feet was covered by her shows, up to her shorts and beyond.

Her face was mostly the same, but the scales went up her neck to the edge of her cheeks and while they did nothing to hide her hair, they did wrap behind her ears.

It was something Jackie hadn't done in a long time. She didn't think she could still do it, but there she was, showing her best friend her greatest secret.

“Cool.” Janna almost lost her hold on the next piece of her chocolate. Almost.

“Ya.” Jackie reached down and peeled off her socks and shoes, revealing that the scales went down to her toes, now partially webbed. “I can go full tail if I want. I just haven't in a long time. Where we're going there are a whole bunch of people who can do the same trick.”

“And you don't sounded too excited about that.” Janna pointed out.

“Down there is some kind of magical cure for dad. I just want to get in and get out quickly.” Jackie plopped her sneakers next to her on the seat. “Thanks for having my back Jan.”

“No problem.” Janna shrugged before suddenly grinning. “Hey remember when the only thing you had to worry about was your boyfriend getting another girl pregnant?”

“Damn it Janna.” Jackie would’ve groaned, by that line of questioning was just so Janna that she couldn’t take any offence at it.

“But seriously.” Her friend defended herself anyway, “That was yesterday. This is nuts.”

 

 

Knuckles tapped against the door. Hekapoo was lucky she didn't lean into the door. The moment she touched it the thing threw open. The entity had expected an angry mother. Who she came face to face with was so much worse.

Star smiled “Hey Hekapoo,” and before the commissioner could even greet her in kind the young mewman started to spasm. She leaned into Hekapoo, invading her personal space and cooed “And this must be Minnie.”

Hekapoo wanted to scold the girl for speaking so loud, but she realized that the princess was probably speaking as low as she could. Besides what did it matter, her daughter was gonna be their problem for the weekend.

“You're here.” Hekapoo's ears perked. She peered around the blonde. Standing there was her daughter's father.

Immediately whatever Star was saying was blocked out. Hekapoo shrugged, “Ya I'm here. Thought I would duck out?”

Marco hesitated, “Never doubted you for a second.”

“Liar” Hekapoo snorted. “Now come on and take the brat. My arms are getting tired.”

Marco stepped forward, but he was stop by a hip check. Star quickly took his place, scooping the snoozing baby. “Don't mind if I do.”

“Star.” Marco whined, “I haven't got the chance to hold her.”

“If you want to carry something.” Hekapoo kicked a thing. She had left the sack of Minerva's belongings at the base of the doorway.

His arm grabbed the neck of the sack and did nothing else even as Marco struggled and whined. “What's in here?”

“Everything you should need.”

“For two days?” He couldn't imagine that everything in there was needed. “Any advice?”

“For the squirt? Ya, hire Kelly.” Hekapoo laughed and she was the only one who did. Marco gave her a frown which caused her to roll her eyes at him from behind her sunglasses. “Fine. I left you some notes in the bag. Or at least my clone should've.”

“And the kid is pretty open to about everything. That means you don’t have to worry about her being too shy, but that also means she’ll try to shove everything into her gaping mouth, so y’know try not to poison the baby.” The mother continued, explaining the quirks of her child, sounded both excited and exacerbated at the same time. Hekapoo suddenly stomped her foot as she made a sharp turn directly towards Marco. With her finger stabbing him in the chest, she warned, “And never ever take eyes off her for even for a moment. You understand that?”

The only course of action Marco could think of was to raise his arms in surrender. He understood exactly where she was coming from. He tried to sound confident as he swore, “I’ll take care of her. I promise. H-Poo.”

She gave him a once over before slowly resetting to an idle position, “I’m going home and relaxing. You know where to find me when you realize you can’t handle it.”

With a flick of her wrist a portal sliced the entryway of the house in half.

She had set a foot in before and than the boy asked, “Wait, my moms upstairs. You don’t want to maybe talk to her?”

Hekapoo dipped her lower half in, but spared a second to turn to him, “Ha. Ha. Funny,” and than she was gone.

“Hold on, hold on. Grandma is coming down the stairs.” Star and Marco turned to the sudden rattling of the steps as the matron of the house bulldozed her way down the steps. Angie came to a halt as she saw the sleeping baby in the princesses’ arm. It died quickly as her eyes frantically darted around the room, “Oh um, Marco is-”

“Hekapoo already left mom.”

“Oh thank god.” The woman's chest seem to deflate flat, “I am not ready for that mentally.”

 

 

It took another fifthteen minutes before they saw anything, but when they did they could only imagine it was like arriving to new york in a helicopter. The darkness of the ocean was gone, lit up by underwater tower's lights.

Jackie found it beautiful, but she wasn’t left awestruck. She felt like she had seen it before and she probably had a long time ago. She however did take the opportunity to watch Janna. Her best friend was in a rare moment of excitement. Not the mischievous excitement she was known for but pure childlike excitement.

She pushed against the window as looked below and it almost seemed like she was prepared to break through the glass and race the carriage there.

They eventually docked. When the carriage pulled in, it looked sort of like a spaceship docking into a station. Maybe, Jackie wasn’t really into scifi or space studies. What she did know was that the door of the carriage made a sort of water proof seal that allowed the two to walk right in to one of the underwater skyscrapers. They proceeded to a airport lobby? That was the best way she could describe it.

“Seriously?” Jackie stopped examining the decor the moment she heard the disbelief in Janna’s voice.

It wasn’t hard to find what she was exclaiming about.

“Oh ya. I guess this is a little bit too much.” To match the theme of the place, her brother Jacob, last name currently unknown, was standing there holding a paper sign that read ‘Jackie.’ He quickly dumped it to the side.

“Like we just saw each other an hour ago when you decided to swim on ahead and meet us here.” Janna’s pupils flicked upwards, “Speaking of which, there was no bathroom in there. That could’ve been dangerous.”

Janna pulled a chocolate bottle out of her pocket and began to unwrap it, giving Jackie a chance to speak up. “Thanks for getting a carriage for us.”

“Ya, gotta compensate for my air breathing ways.” Janna said between a bite.

“It wasn’t any trouble.” Jacob smiled, “We run these taxis constantly. Atlantis is a bit of a tourist attraction, unfortunately.”

“Atlantis?” Janna cocked an eyebrow. “Never heard of it. Hey how come you couldn’t just cut us straight in here?”

“Wish I could. The wards wouldn’t allow it, plus tramorfidian crystals built right into the foundation.” He stomped his foot as a visual cue. “But those were put there for a reason. This is a kingdom after all. It wouldn’t be smart to just let anyone make a portal straight into the throne room. Besides the visitor still flow through, even if it’s relatively hard to get in.”

His cloak fluttered as Jacob turned around, beckoning the girls to follow him.

They did, but not without Janna crossing her arms, “Or out.”

 

 

Hekapoo could say that when she got home. She really did relax. She relaxed the hell out of a beach chair which she spread right outside the dark plains of her front door. It wasn't exactly beach property but the chair was comfortable enough that she got a good long nap out of it. Besides she had the beach hat and sunglasses, it was a good enough substitute.

She wouldn't exactly tell this to anyone, but she woke up with a glop of drool running down her chin. She had to wipe that off quickly. She hadn't planned to spend the entire day sleeping. She shoved her vacation set up back into her humble adobe.

Scales gazed her leg. She nearly jumped before she realized that it was just Nacho. Just because Minnie wasn’t around didn't mean he didn't go anywhere.

He purred at her and she immediately rolled her eyes, “I got it. Sorry I haven't given you lunch yet. You don't have to give me that look.”

She wandered over to her kitchen and pulled a large bag out from underneath the sink and undid the ziplock, pouring the chucks of dragon food into a predestinated dish that sat besides a water bowl. Meat, veggies and gems. Hekapoo was pretty sure that Nacho ate better than she did.

She reached up into the cabinet above and pulled out a tin. She peeled open the plastic top. A bit of powder clouded up when she did. Turning on the sink she let the water run before she began to fill a plastic cup and a small metal pan. She dumped about a spoon full of powder into the cup, put a rubber cover over the cup, and dropped it into the pan.

She then poured the entirety of it into the sink, because she just started to make a bottle when there was no baby to give the bottle to.

Hekapoo wasted a bunch of time preparing that for Minnie when she could’ve been using that time make her own lunch.

She needed to make something.

Beer?

Beer.

She pulled a bottle out of the fridge and with a quick swipe, chopped the neck off instead of bending off the bottle cap. Was a trick that her baby’s daddy once showed her. Except instead of relying on karate and a mix of other martial arts like he did, she just used the speed and strength gifted to her from being a cosmic entity.

The cut was smooth, than again she doubt it could cut her even if it wasn't. She took a nice long gulp before crashing onto her couch, the nice one that facef the forge.

This was the life.

Hekapoo took another sip. She tapped her fingers against her lap. There was a small clicking of her tongue as she cherish the flavor of the booze.

Yup, the life.

She took another sip.

The door than creaked open, thank god. “Hey Hekapoo.”

The greeting sounded more like a moan. It more fit a spirit than it did the bush girl that limped into her home. “Sorry I'm late.”

Hekapoo twisted herself around. Laying her knees onto her sofa she greet her daughter's babysitter with a teethy smile and greeted her with more euphemism than anyone could think was possible from her. “Kelly. Glad you here. I don't actually have work today.”

Kelly just blinked, letting out a small questionable “Oh.”

“Ya no commission meeting today. They're probably talking about me behind my back cause they found out I had a kid without letting anyone know.” Hekapoo scuffed. It wasn't like she needed permission to go through the miracle of birth. “Besides the kid isn't even here. She’s over at her father's.”

“Marco?”

Hekapoo cocked an eyebrow, “Ya, how did you know?” Than she thought about it. She pinched the bridge of her nose, “That's right you were there when I was chewing him out in front of everyone.”

Kelly nodded before she began to turn around, “Well I'll be back next week. I guess.”

“Woah wait.” Hekapoo stood up, muttering a hail of nos as she chase after the teen girl. She place her hands gently on her, “You just got here. Why not hang out for a bit? Tell me what's going on.”

The lady of the forge lead Kelly over the coach, placing both their butts firmly down. Kelly glanced back at the door that now seemed miles away, “Well okay.”

She did a mix of inhaling and sobbing as she began, “Me and Tad broke up.”

“Uh huh. uh huh.” Hekapoo nodded vigorously, as she slowly picked her beer back up. She took another swig. “Continue.”

“Well, we've broke up before but I think that he might be gone for good this time and I'm not sure what to do.”

“Hold on.” Hekapoo eyed her now empty drink, “Do you want anything to drink cause I need a refill.”

She began to strut back into her kitchen, “I got beer.”

Kelly visibility whined, “No. Thanks, but I'm underage.”

“Please. I've witness enough generations of princesses growing up to know you kids don't let whatever laws your dimension has stop you.” Hekapoo pulled the fridge open once more. “Besides we are just two girls on their own, away from guys. I just sent my daughter to her father’s for the first time and you got whatever that thing with Tad that you just mentioned was.” She grabbed a bottle. Placing her own drink on the counter. She opened her guest’s suggested beverage the only way she did without a bottle opener.

“I'm not going to force you to drink anything, but let just say I left an open bottle lying around and whatever happens happens.” It was only a second that Hekapoo was in the kitchen, but came in, a beer in each hand, her guest was clicking away at some device. “What's that?”

“Oh, I just got a text. You know, from Star.” The bush twisted the device over to the demoness, revealing her phone’s scene had some message that was too far away for her to read. “I got to go. It’s really important.”

“Oh, you have to go already?” It was half question, half resignation. “Fine, I'll give you a ride.”

Hekapoo’s spine shagged, but she still made a portal like only one of her blades could. She stepped to the side of it before ushering the teen, “Come on, out.”

“Thanks Hekapoo.” Despite the drama the girl was going through to went through the effort of giving the woman a smile.

“Ya ya.” Hekapoo placed her hand on Kelly’s back encouraging her to move through the portal.

“What is it now?” There was a sudden but familiar whine and Hekapoo knew that she had wrapped space to just the right space. Not that there was any doubt to begin with.

Kelly readjusted her glasses. “Hey Marco.”

“Oh, ah Kelly, right?” Marco blinked and before he could say anymore there was a obnoxious interruption.

“Are you Marco's baby mama?” From behind Kelly, Hekapoo's squinted her eyes. There was some fat man thing near her baby's father. It was seemingly human.

“What, no Ferg. Kelly's just Star's friend. She's not Minnie's mom.” Marco sounded frustrated for obvious reasons. He was close to covering his face when noticed the red haired chauffeur. “She is. Guys, this is Hekapoo. Hekapoo. Guys.”

Besides for the roundish friend of the boy, there was also a stick of a kid. He had big round glasses and goofy look on his mug.

“Sup.” Hekapoo wasn't really interested but she was going to say something, at least for Marco's sake.

“What are you doing here?”

A good question, she wished she had a better answer than, “Just giving Kelly a lift.”

“Thanks Hekapoo.” Kelly waved her goodbye, quickly ducking out of the conversation and off to wherever the mewman princess was.

The skinny kid, the one with the specs open his maw and out came out was a coughing sound mixed with nervous laughter. His friend looked calm for the most part and his face didn't look blue so Hekapoo assumed that he was trying to communicate in some way.

“What did he say?” She asked.

“He wanted to know how many kids you and Bad Boy Diaz are gonna have.”

“You gave him the nickname Bad Boy Diaz?” Hekapoo paused, “That's adorable.”

“No, it's cool and edgy.” Bad Boy Diaz insisted. He suddenly found his toes very interesting, “And I worked really hard on it.”

“And no. Muscles here will have to find a new girl if he wants more kids. I might end up strangling him if he made me go through childbirth again.” Hekapoo was an immortal entity, but still, she shuddered. “You don't know how bad it was. There was tearing.” The boys cringed in sympathy, she optimistically hoped. They could just be typical teenage boy who flinched at any mention of lady problems. “Anyway. You know that since Kelly's here you can ask her for help. In case you can't handle it.”

Bad Boy Diaz rolled his eyes. “Funny. H-poo, you don't have to worry about Minnie. I got a handle on it.” He gave her a smile.

“I'm not worried.” She crosses her arms. It wasn't very convincing.

“She’s taking a nap right now, but you see her again Sunday night.”

“Okay cool. Well I’ll be off than.” She began to sink back into her own dimension. “Later flesh bags.”

“Our names are-” The chubby friend began.

“Sorry, can't hear you. Portal inference.” And with one motion ducked completely back in, severing the link between the two dimensions. “Well so much for having a drinking partner.”

Hekapoo looked around the nearly empty home. She snapped, “You know what. I'm master of dimensional scissors. There has to be a party out there somewhere.”

 

 

“The many great sights of Atlantis.” Jacob’s voice bang through their fleshy bodies and caused the girl’s heart to beat prematurely. He stood T posed as he presented the location, “Atlantis’ great hall of art. Home of such works as Amphibinecros and The Fall.”

There was a red carpet just in front of them. A thin one. It was tight, between the pillars that held the structure up and the velvet boundaries that kept visitors separated from the works. It was probably more impressive for the natives as the majority of the building was filled with water. It had amenities made for them. He had taken Jackie and Janna through the tourist route but even with the smaller halls they all had more than enough room to move about.

“The ancient colosseum.” Jacob roared once more. The colosseum was a strange melding of a roman arena, a football field and a waterpark. They stood near the top made for tourist but the the bottom rows were filled with pools connected to underwater tunnels. It could actually be a cool place to be when an actual event was going on.

“The near infinite achieves of Triton.” Jacob gripped onto the railings. The library resembled a warehouse. At least from where he and the girls stood. Bookshelves poked from the water’s surface but started down. Way down beneath the water. When Jackie bent down and peered into the water she could see lights of some sort. Maybe magical lamps that allowed her to see the flourishing around them.

Jackie didn’t actually mind this one too much. She was tempted to peel a book off a shelf. The tip of her longest finger was just about ready to tilt a tome when Janna cut in with “Yo, Prince Charming, I'm a girl who’s a fan of graveyards but these places have just been dead. Where are all the people?”

“Do you really think I’m charming?” Jacob padded his cheeks.

“Not really.” Janna lesbianed.

The large guy coughed. “Yes well. These are the not the most popular hangouts but they are dear to me. Unfortunately the majority of our guest seem to prefer to spend their time-” Jacob sighed. “-at the casino.”

It really did look like a hot spot of such a large kingdom. The casino was one of the few arenas not built for a aquatic majority, but there were still tubes built in. The populous used these tubes to jet in. Catching the glimpse of one merfolk, they saw him jump out high allowing his tail to split apart. He was now standing on two legs, though they were still scaly and the toes were webbed. He joined the masses but sitting at the nearest table. It was poker or some out of world equivalent.

Each table was swarmed by both quest and servers, each holding a tray, balancing a bottle on top. Janna swiped one, “Wonder how much this is worth.” She muttered to her before eyeing Jacob, “You’re paying for this, right?”

“I guess” Jackie’s lost sibling submitted instantly and without a further thought Janna slipped the alcohol into her sack.

“I’m sorry” Jacob began. Jackie didn’t know what he was talking about. Janna was the one milking free booze from him. Than again that was just Janna being Janna. “I know you’re in a rush. I was just a bit hesitant to bring you here.”

It was a bit hard for her to not agree with sentiment. Jackie wasn’t on a strict schedule but she did want to get whatever miracle medicine they had hidden away and get back home. He was technically doing for a favor, potentially saving her dad’s life, so she had some patience to spare him. She joked, “Why afraid I get swept in the by debauchery?”

“It has happened to some.” Jacob muttered, not hiding an obvious displeasure, “but in truth I wanted to put our best foot forward. It’s just frustrating that our kingdom’s grand history tends to get overshadow by this.”

Despite the grimmous he was giving the room, the people enjoyed themselves none the wiser.

“Now before we continue I thought it would be important for me to introduce you to-”

“Hey Jacob, what are you doing here?” A hand swayed through the air like a dog’s tail. Behind a slot machine brown hair and the majority of a face rose.

She looked glad to see Jacob. Jacob didn’t look as excited.

“A friend of yours?” Janna inquired and their red haired host just muttered to himself his back slouch as he moved over the brunette.

Jackie rosed an eyebrow as imagined a line from Jacob to the girl, “Do I know her?”

“Now before further ado” was all the guy could get out.

He was stopped by an calm “Hold on, I have a couple more tokens.” The girl dainty carried a gold coin between her pointer and thumb which she dropped into the slot before cranking the machine.

“This is important.”

“Just a couple more.” Another coin went it.

“I just wanted to announce the return-”

“Relax sweetie.” Another was gone.

“I don’t even know why you're doing this.”

“Just having a little fun.” Another was lost to the void.

“We own the casino. You can’t even make any money doing this.”

The last coin slid right in and there when all three wheels jerked to a stop nothing happened. The girl giggled excitedly as if she had won. “Aw, you hate to see that happen. Okay all done Jacob, now what did you want me to see?”

Jacob tried to physically wipe the look of exasperation on his face. “Jacqueline, mom.”

Jackie didn’t have the time to react before she found herself bum rushed by the girl, “Oh my baby.” The stranger cooed as she began to stick to the blonde like a cephalopod.

Jackie played along with the embrace for a second but even as she tried to loosen herself the hug continued. “Oh, hi you.” She looked towards the other two for assistance.

“Mom? She looks our age.” Janna eyes the strange woman.

Jacob’s ‘mom’ twisted around Jackie. She stood behind her cheek to cheek as she got the good look at her son’s guest, “Aging is for foreigners and the poor, darling.”

“Jacqueline. I'm not sure if you remember but this is our mother.” A clearly exasperated Jacob explained.

“Oh how could anyone forget this face?” The matron swung around to face Jackie, giving her a bright smile.

All Jackie saw was a scowl, “I know you.” she spoke slowly that information seem to slowly blossom in her mind.

Her ‘mother’ said with unrelenting pride. “I knew you would remember me sweetie.”

Jacob breathed it. “Now, I was in the middle of giving Jacqueline and her friend a tour of the kingdom. I thought around this time that you might want to join us.” Any frustration that he felt before seem to dissipate or he had plenty of practice internalizing it.

The woman perked. “Oh how wonderful. Of course mommy would love to join the two of you.” She started to play with Jackie’s hair. “Oh Jacqueline, isn’t this great. We’re get to catch up after all this time.”

“Oh great.” The blonde barely seem to have the energy to say it and it came out raspy like she had a throat infection. As a result the muttered, “Please stop touching me,” sounded much louder.

However if the brown haired woman hear it she didn’t show it. Her smile never faulted as she skipped off, ignoring her son’s instructions as he stalked after her.

A loud chewing continued as Janna tore the neck of a chocolate bottle. For a moment that was the only sound between the duo as the newly discovered relatives went ahead of them. “So she seems perky.” Janna peeled off the wrapping on the second half of the piece of candy. “How wonderful.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.

Jackie eyed the candy liquor. “Can I have some of those?”

 

 

Hekapoo’s favorite bar was on a wide forgotten plain right in the center of nowhere. It was on lawless land, making it a nice tough guy location. The image was propagated by the fact that just behind the bar there was a board full of wanted posters among other sheets with bits of information. It was also a shack on the edges of shambles and she had only just than realized it.

She was able to still get a good drink but when she scanned the room she could only noticed just how dreary the joint was, especially before it was even happy hour. There were barely three guys in the entire bar.

The bartender her a mug. It was some purple concoction that she downed in a second flat, before she ordered another.

She made a fist and lifted it until it hovered just above the bar, squeezed her fingers together tight and let go. A small rectangle device dropped from her palm. It was a yellow with some crystals poking out from one end and when she focus a little bit of magic into it a bit shot up that projected an image just above it like a hologram.

With it, she could see a picture she has taken of Minerva. She acted as if she didn't spend a majority of her life with the munchkin for the last few months and she hated herself for it.

“Cute kid.” Her ears perked. She was surprised that anyone were even up for conversation. She doubt the voice belonged to the one guy passed out with his legs scrawled along the entrance nor to the shaky cow man with anisocoria who pupils darted at every single creak that echoed through the hub.

It didn’t matter. She just didn't have it in her to really care who was sitting next to her.

“So she's your-” he trailed, leaving Hekapoo to fill in the blank.

“Daughter.” Hekapoo answered, resting her cheek on palm.

“Woah.” he said, “Sorry, but you look a bit young.”

“Ya, I get that a lot.” Not really. It’s not like she had that much time to socialize, but he didn't need to know that. “Did you want anything?”

“No.” He coughed, “Nothing really.”

Rolling her head, she peeked at the man and sighed. He wasn't bad looking, “Order a drink.”

He did. While another purple thing came for Hekapoo a green serum came to rest in front of the stranger. The lady of dimensions took a drink, slowly this time deciding to savour the mixture. Her new found drinking took his quickly, possibly to catch up to the two drinks she had beforehand.

“So.” He chugged it in one gulp before asking, “How old is she?”

“Not even a year.”

“Must be exciting.” He smiled, somehow it was possible with that thing on his face. Anatomy was weird.

“Ya, what a wonderful time to be alive.” Hekapoo muttered, sounding anything but enthusiastic. She took another sip. “She's with her father for the first time. For the next few days. Well the next few days for that dimension.”

“Oh, so you and the father aren't-”

“Together? No. We were never together.” That brought on a headache. She had to massage her temples. “Or maybe we were. Long story.”

“Wicked.” Try not to sound too delightes guy, “I mean it must be rough. Mama wasn't said that letting me out of the nest was the hardest thing she did.”

“Ya well, she's probably right.” She has to concede to that. “I don't get it. I only just got her. I didn't even like her for the first couple of months. She just came out of me and I took care of her because that's what you're supposed to do, but now I don't have to deal with her and-” She was ranting. Hekapoo knew what she had to do. She tapped her drink and pushed it away from herself. “You know. I'm done with that.”

Her impromptu drinking buddy took a long deep exhale. He crossed his arms and spoke. “I can't talk from experience. I love kids. I volunteer with them. It's great. Makes me feel like I'm building them up, but I haven’t got one of my own. What I do know is saying goodbye is hard and what helps me afterwards is stepping back and doing something for me.”

“What do you think I’m doing?” She motion towards the all but derelict pub

“Nah.” He shook his hand, his wing. “Here is where you forget stuff, at least if you're here alone. You need to consider it more of a milestone. Something worth treating yourself a bit. Go learn a skill you always wanted to, take a class, go somewhere exotic.”

“Go somewhere exotic, huh?” Hekapoo looked to the distance, at something only visible to her.

“In fact I know a couple places you might like.”

Hekapoo looked at the man her lap and than back at the man. “Hey listen you’re nice and look like you could bench press me which normally would be a plus” she eyed his pecs. Now that she noticed them, she hated that she couldn't enjoy them. “but I’m still not over whatever is going on with my ex.”

She didn't know if that was the right term for Marco. The entire affair was long and passionate, but very informal. There weren't really labels.

“Oh you thought I meant go with me.” She could imagine that his eyes widened behind his sunglasses. After a beat he relaxed. “Don't worry about it. You just seem stressed. That's all. I'm being serious, there a bunch of places on the job board. Been to a few. You should try them out.” He motioned towards the wall of wanted posters. Now that she was looking carefully she could see some colorful posters underneath the mess.

“Oh thanks. Just so you know, I don't say that to a ton of mortals.” The could probably count the number she’ve shown gratitude on her two hands.

“I'm not like most mortals. I aim for the extreme.” Now she knew the man was trying to sound cool. He stood. “Anyway I gotta jet. See ya on the flip side.”

Finger guns.

“Yo, before you go my name's Heckapoo.” She introduced herself.

“Talon.” He did the same as he backed out of the pub. “Talon Raventalon.”

“Ha, lame.” She snorted. Hekapoo stood and faced the bar. Pushing against the counter she reached over until her nose was just at the wall. Carefully she peeled back the mugshots of known criminals. It really was an advert for a vacation spot.

It didn't sound like a bad idea.

For once she needed to get away from the stress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Talon Raventalon, AKA guy who probably isn't showing up again. 
> 
> Also Hekapoo briefy met Marco's friends. Why are they there? That will be seen next chapter which takes place simultaneously with this one.


End file.
